The New Generation: Year One
by Ruthie Smith
Summary: It's a new year at Hogwarts, and a new set of children. Catrin Jones is a street thief from Cardiff who has been swept up into Hogwarts. Who is her father? And what is the sinister new threat brewing in the Wizarding World? Only time will tell...
1. Prologue: An Unusual Meeting

**N**

**Year One**

**Prologue**

Catrin stared up at the orange bulb above her head. Around her, the night was soft and mellow, black twilight suffusing the street around her. The house in front of her was only just visible, windows reflecting a tangerine sheen back at her.

She had been watching the owners for several days now, watching and waiting for them to leave the house, watching and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. She'd selected them carefully: rich, selfish and spoiled. They wouldn't miss anything- if anything they _needed _a good shock.

She was so hungry. There'd been no food since the last raid, and that had been a week ago. The supplies in her rucksack had long since dwindled to nothing. If she didn't make it tonight, she'd not last another day.

Wrenching her mind back to the present, Catrin scowled at herself. Do it now, dwell on it later. She didn't want to get caught.

She switched her attention to the streetlamp above her head, letting its radiance suffuse her skull, feeling her heart thud in her head. She closed her eyes, and listened to her heartbeat.

_Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud._

_Chink-chink. Chink-chink. Chink-chink._

Catrin smiled, opening her eyes. The light flashed in. And out. And in. Pulsing in time with the blood in her veins.

She raised a hand, laying her palm flat against the cold metal of the streetlamp. The chinking increased in measure, and she could feel her heart speed up in response, fluttering like a bird's wings. Sweat broke out across her forehead, but slowly, deliberately, the other palm came up, onto the metal.

Catrin gasped; the pulsing had increased, her heart was racing, and she was racked with strange shivers. It was strangely exhilarating, and terrifying at the same time.

_Chinkchinkchinkchink..._

Then, with a sudden flare bright enough to burn the inside of her eyes, the streetlamp went out. The street was black; the night was quiet.

Catrin glanced around, running her hands through her hair. The back of her neck prickled uncomfortably and she spun around. Was someone _watching _her?

She strained to see into the pitch-blackness- the blackness that she had just created. She couldn't _see _anything...

So why did she have the feeling that something was there?

The desire for food battled against the desire for safety. In the end, food won.

Catrin turned back and sprinted up the stone path to the house. It was large, and the double-door looked imposingly down on her, black in the whitewashed walls like a gappy grin.

Quickly, she reached into one of the two pots that stood either side of the door, brushing away a fountain of purple flowers as she did so. Her hand fumbled around in the soft loam- then closed around the hard, icy key.

It took ten precious seconds to get the door open- through which all the time she frantically glanced over her shoulder. Fear and paranoia convinced her that there was something- some_one _out there, waiting for their chance to strike at the elusive 'Streetlamp Sneak'. Oh god, were they getting closer? Was she going to die? Was she-

The door clicked open, and she hurtled inside, locking it securely behind her.

She waited on the other side, breathing heavily, slumped against the hard wood. Eventually her breathing slowed and her heart- still pounding from breaking the lamppost- returned to normal.

Slowly, Catrin let out her breath in a gusty sigh.

Now that the sense of danger had past, her stomach rumbled angrily, bringing her back to the present. Cautiously, she looked around.

It was undoubtedly grand: a chandelier hung over a wide, carpeted staircase. A vase of flowers was set next to an archway, through which she could see linoleum and a gleaming work surface. Catrin sighed; it had been so long since she'd lived in a place like this. She could only barely remember it...

_The kitchen!_

Shouldering her rucksack, which contained everything she owned, she headed through the doorway into a forest of chrome and steel. A newspaper blared its headlines at her from the steel table: _Lamppost Lightfingers Baffles Cardiff! _

Cardiff: her _real _home. Though the streets weren't very comfy. She was planning to get to London soon, though, hopefully to evade the police for a little longer.

_Lightpost Lightfingers Loots London. _She thought wryly.

Heading for the cupboard, she efficiently stripped it of it's cannage. The fridge was next: heading over to it, she opened it, letting the yellow light play over her features.

"You know, I've always loved refrigerators. So fascinating, how Muggles manage."

Catrin's heart nearly failed her. She spun around so fast that the room became a blur, so fast that she almost missed the tall figure in the middle of the kitchen. _Stupid! _She berated herself. _You shouldn't have been too hasty- you missed him! And now the owner will call the police!_

"I'm sorry..." She gasped. "I...I was...I'm starving! I only wanted some food. Not valuables! Honest! Please..." Her voice cracked. "Please don't call the police!"

"I have no intention of calling the police, Miss Jones. I'm here to talk to you."

Catrin flinched at the sound of her name by the stern voice.

"Who...who are you? How do you know who I am?"

"All in good time." The dark shape moved over to the doorway, and suddenly the light flicked on.

The two scrutinised each other underneath the harsh light. Catrin saw a tall, woman with hair tied back severely into a bun. An emerald green dress fell in folds to her feet, accessorised by a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles. By contrast, she felt grubby and self-conscious under her piercing gaze.

"I am Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School. I am here to offer you a place at my school."

"School?" Catrin could only stare at her blankly.

"Yes. But not just any school. Hogwarts is a school...for people with special abilities. It is a school...for magic."

"You're mad." Catrin blurted out. Here she was, in the middle of someone's house, discussing magic with a complete stranger!

"Mad?" The woman raised her eyebrow, and withdrew what looked like a long stick from the folds of her dress. She flicked the stick, and suddenly the cupboard doors burst open, spewing out food from their depths. They all arrayed themselves neatly in a line in front of McGonagall. In the air.

Catrin could only gape at McGonagall. Suddenly what she'd been saying didn't sound nearly so ridiculous.

"Magic?"

"That's right."

"But...I'm not magic. I'm homeless. I...I have to steal for a living. If I was magic, I'd be rich!"

_And Mum would still be alive. _She added silently.

"Magic isn't like that." Annoyance spiked in the woman's voice. "You are inexperienced. Unschooled. You need training: training only a place like Hogwarts can provide. It is a year-round education- a boarding school. You need not worry about food, shelter."

"I haven't got any money." Of all the excuses!  
>"That can be arranged. Hogwarts has a fund for students. Some of the clothes and robes will be second-hand, of course, but you will have the necessary equipment."<br>"I'll be able to do...what you just did?"

McGonagall smiled- an involuntary twitch of the lips. "That and more."

"And I won't have to sleep on the streets? I hate stealing."

"No."  
>Catrin paused. Was this real? What McGonagall had shown her seemed pretty conclusive. If this was a joke- or a trap- they were going to extraordinary lengths to fool her. What if they'd gotten it wrong? And what if they'd send her back? She was heading into the complete unknown...<p>

But anything was better than living like this, even if only for a few days.

"Then I'm coming."


	2. Chapter 1: The Leaky Cauldron

Catrin looked around her room with an air of disbelief. Bed, wardrobe, mirror, bathroom...it was all too much to take in at once. On the table in front of her were the remains of the largest slice of chocolate cake she'd ever eaten; as well as a basket of fruit that she hadn't been able to eat. The rucksack of food had been returned to its proper place- McGonagall had warned her stealing wouldn't be tolerated there, and Catrin liked to think that she was clever enough not to mess up this opportunity.

It was incredible to believe that one short meeting could have turned her life around so much.

Immediately after her agreement, McGonagall had gone outside and summoned- out of nowhere- a gleaming purple bus which rocked alarmingly and had almost tipped her off the unstable bed she'd been given several times. Just how she'd managed to arrive in London only ten minutes later was an incredible mystery to her, but no sooner had she tumbled out of the bus than she'd been whisked into a pub. A very strange pub it had been, too: a hazy mist of smoke hung over everything, but she'd managed to make out some mind-boggling things, like a man smoking a sprinkling can, a woman using her stick –wand- to make her tea stir itself. They'd all been wearing the same dress-clothes like McGonagall's, which she'd learnt were called _robes. _

Then they'd stuffed her with the best food she'd eaten in years- not to mention the most. Catrin had stared disbelievingly for a few seconds, and then started wolfing down the food as though she thought it'd disappear in any second- which she had. She regretted it now, though- the waistband of her trousers felt uncomfortably tight.

Everything she'd seen had made her eyes pop with amazement, and had proved beyond proof- except of drugs- that magic did exist. Though she still thought that it might be some lying dream that she was about to wake up from.

In the meantime though, just in case this _was _actually happening, she had bombarded McGonagall with hundreds upon thousands of questions about- as it was called- the _Wizarding World. _To her credit, McGonagall had answered each and every one of these, providing Catrin with scores of information about this new life. The one question she hadn't asked- had been afraid to broach- was _why her? _What made her special enough? Did they simply pick random people and say that they'd do? Was this magic a mutation? Or were one of her parents magic?  
>It couldn't have been her mother...she had no recollection whatsoever of her wielding anything like a wand. Her father? She'd never known him, and had been too young to care. Of course, now it was too late...her mother was dead, and she'd never find out. And that was all her fault...<p>

But she pushed that thought away- she was in a hotel! And she'd been stuffed full of more food than she cared to remember. For now, tomorrow could wait.

She sat down cautiously on the bed, and giggled with surprise as she sank into it. It was squidgy! Feathery soft...she lay down on it, and suddenly all the nights of sleeping rough caught up with her, and she was out like a light.

"Miss Jones! Miss Jones!"

Catrin's eyes jerked open- and then snapped shut against the spears of light jabbing at her eyeballs. "Aaargh..." she groaned, rolling over onto her side...then her instinct kicked in and she jerked upright, lashing blindly out at whatever threatened her.

Her arm hit nothing; she overbalanced and crashed onto the hard floor with a creak. For a moment she lay there, stunned, and then her eyes tentatively opened again, admitting one of the most amazing scenes she had ever seen.

A bed...a _room_...

Catrin gasped as all of her memories flooded back and felt happiness surge in her chest like bubbles. It _hadn't _been a dream...she was really here! Magic! Wands! Robes! A _school_!

She grinned widely, then levered herself painfully up onto her feet, touching the bed again. What had woken her? Maybe she should go back to bed...

"_Miss Jones!" _

"Oy, luv. There's someone wantin' ya. Be a darling and open the door."

Catrin spun round. The voice seemed to have been coming from the mirror.

"Can you...talk?" She asked it hesitantly.

"Of course, chuck. Now, please, open the flamin' door, I'm gettin' an 'eadache."

Goggling at the mirror, Catrin shuffled sideways across the room and turned the handle.

"What's been keeping you?" Asked a very harassed Professor McGonagall. Then- "Goodness, child. Did you _sleep _in those?"

Catrin stared groggily, first at the immaculate teacher, then down at her rumpled jeans and shirt.

"Um..."

"Never mind, never mind." McGonagall swept into the room, dominating the space despite being less than 20 times its size.

"I won't be accompanying you today, Hagrid will. We'll meet him downstairs...there's a bit of fuss with the Minister for Magic that I have to sort out...something about disappearances..."

She seemed to realise that she was speaking aloud and stopped abruptly.

"Who's the Minister for Magic?"

"Like your...what's he called? Slime Minister."

"The _Prime Minister_?"

"Slime works just as well, from what I've heard. You'll learn more when you come downstairs. Now, enough! Get ready!"

When McGonagall had done, Catrin stared helplessly around the room. Get ready? How? She glanced towards the bathroom...and shuddered.

"I'd advise havin' a wash, if I were you."

"You're a mirror." She answered, and then cursed.

Ten minutes later, Catrin made her way down the rickety stairs into the main body of the pub. She stared around helplessly through the crowd, more than a few of which were giving her funny looks, and decided to head for the bar. The landlord, who was called Tom, had scared her at first, but maybe he'd be able to tell her where McGonagall was.

"You alright, love?" She turned to see a middle-aged witch looking down at her. Catrin was reassured to see a kindly face, and grinned back at her.

"Yeah..."

"Goodness me, you're soaking! Are you sure?"

Catrin did not attempt to tell her of the disastrous attempts to handle the bath, and settled for a shrug.

"Let me..." The witch withdrew her wand, and pointed it at Catrin, who backed away. "Don't worry..._aridum_!" And miraculously, her whole body was suddenly as warm and dry as though she'd been sitting in front of a roaring fire.

Catrin touched her clothes disbelievingly. "Thank you..."

"New to the Wizarding World, are you?" She smiled.

"I don't know...I mean, I must be, yes. I'm going to Hogwarts." She added proudly, and was surprised when the witch laughed. "Everyone does! My own daughter's going there this year, too! I went myself...it's been seventeen years now, but you wouldn't think it to look at me, would you?"

Inspired by a sudden confidence in the witch's friendly manner, Catrin smiled cheekily up at her and replied "No, I thought you were half that age!"

She burst into a surprised laugh, and extended her hand to Catrin, who, hoping that she _was _going for a handshake and not some strange wizarding ritual, shook it.

"M'name's Hannah, m'dear. Hannah Longbottom."

"Catrin Jones. It's nice to meet you."

"What a lovely name! I run the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade."

"Hogs...meade?"

"Oh! Of course, you wouldn't know." Hannah Longbottom stowed her wand back in her pocket and ran a hand through her salt-and-pepper hair. "It's a village very close to Hogwarts, though you won't be allowed to visit until you're in third year. In fact-"

"Miss Jones- oh, hello, Hannah." Professor McGonagall had appeared behind the witch's elbow, jostling around so she was next to them.

"Minerva! Is this your charge? Such a lovely young lady she is, too."

"Yes- what? Oh yes, this is Catrin Jones. Hagrid will be taking care of her from now- there's been a bit of fuss with Mercus Abbot again..."

"Hagrid?" Catrin interrupted, worried. Who- or more worryingly, what- was Hagrid?

"Hagrid's our gamekeeper. He should be around here somewhere...ah, there he is."

McGonagall hurriedly said goodbye to Hannah- Catrin had the impression that 'hurried' was a state in which McGonagall spent much of her time- and started off through the crowd.

"Bye!" Catrin called to Hannah Longbottom as she ran off after her escort. The witch waved back, and then was swallowed by the mass of people.

It took a solid five minutes to navigate their way to the other corner of the pub, however eventually they arrived in a little corner, where two men were sitting. Well- only one could be considered a man, thought Catrin, shocked, as she surveyed the mountain that seemed to be in the middle of saying something. He was _huge_, with a beard the size of a dustbin lid.

She hoped with all her heart that he was Hagrid.

"Hagrid, Ronald." McGonagall greeted the two with a wave of her hand, and they looked up, startled. Catrin was intrigued to see that the second man- tall and gangly with a shock of red hair- looked slightly guilty.

"'ello, Minerva." Rumbled the mountain comfortably. "Just been havin' a chat with Ron. Y'know, 'bout the good ol' days."

"Running rampant around Hogwarts." Said Ron with a grin. "Saving people- and Norbert. You know how things go."

"Aah, Norber'." Sighed the mountain. He must be Hagrid, then.

"Yes, well, we have the next generation of Hogwarts students to look after now." Barked McGonagall, who did not seem to approve of idle chatter. Both Hagrid and Ron craned their necks interestedly, and their eyes settled on Catrin. She squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze.

"Aah, you're Catrin Jones." Said Hagrid. "Pleased ter meet yer."

"Same." Ron said with a grin.

"Nice to meet you too." She said quietly.

"Reminds me of 'Arry." Said Hagrid, leaning back in his chair. "Poli' to a faul', he was. At the beginnin' mind you." He chucked again, and Catrin decided that she liked this man- if he was a man, that is.

"Well, better get goin', anyway. Pleasur' as always, Ron."

"Same. Actually, I'd better come too; Hermione'll kill me if I miss the shopping extravaganza. Rose needs clothes, and she's been looking forward to an owl...I'll come with you as far as Flourish and Blotts."

With a great creaking of chairs, he two stood up. McGonagall turned to face her charge.

"I'll see you at Hogwarts." She said. "I've asked Hagrid to accompany you to King's Cross, so don't worry about that. You'll be perfectly safe with him. Until September, then..."

McGonagall smiled, and then disappeared back into the throng with nothing more than a billow of robes, leaving Catrin to stare after her.


	3. Chapter 2: Expresses and Enemies

**Disclaimer? It isn't mine. Reviews would also be amazing **

Chapter 3

"All aboard, all aboard!"

Catrin stood on the platform, staring in wonder at the scene in front of her. Tendrils of steam wound around everyone's heads, lending an unearthly atmosphere to the magnificent scarlet steam engine, the Hogwarts Express. She clutched at her trolley- the only stable thing in this throng of people, and stared in wonder as children of all ages bustled and shoved around her, owls, cats and people adding to the din of the train.

It was wonderful, and Catrin grinned hugely at the sight.

Hagrid had dropped her off just after the barrier, striding ahead until she couldn't make out his large figure in the smog, and now she was alone. Oddly, though, she wasn't scared, though that could just be the exhilaration.

Slowly, she pushed forward through the crowd, listening to the conversations around her, until she found a carriage that didn't look _too _crowded. Then she attempted to lever her heavy trunk off the trolley, straining and heaving until it came off. When it did- narrowly missing her toes- she looked up at the steps in despair. If she couldn't manage a trolley, what was the hope of getting it on the train?

"Want a hand?" She looked around gratefully, to see a tall boy with carefully rumpled black hair and brown eyes grinning down at her.

"Yes please," Catrin gratefully surrendered, allowing him to lift it easily onto the train and into a compartment. He didn't seem to need any help, so she just followed him, feeling like an idiot as she did so. When he finally levered it onto the luggage rack, he turned around, a pink face betraying the fact that the work might've been a little more difficult than he'd let on, and stuck out his hand.

"James Potter."

She took it. "Catrin Jones."

He grinned at her, shaking firmly. "Funny accent you've got there, Catrin Jones."

"Funny manners you've got there, James Potter."

That made him laugh, and smile at her- the smile of a conspirator.

"What year are you in?" She asked curiously.

"First Year. Like you." He swelled with pride. "The school isn't ready for me: they won't know what's hit 'em!"

A pompous whirlwind, that's what, thought Catrin.

"Thank you for lifting my trunk." She said politely, heading back towards the compartment door. "I'll just be getting back to the platform, to..." she trailed off. She actually wanted to take in the sight again: it was amazing!

"Say goodbye? Me, too." Said the boy thoughtfully, brushing down his jumper. "Mum fusses too much, but you know how parents are." He smirked. "And I've gotta get Al- my brother- to promise to send me dung bombs in the post."

"Arrogant much?" Asked Catrin wryly as they made their way to the steps of the carriage. She leaned against them, hands in pockets, taking in the view. Across from her she could see a tall, black haired man with spectacles and piercingly green eyes looking at her- or was it James? Judging by the similarity, he was his father.

"You know you like it, darling." Catrin coughed, and reddened, staring at the offender, who flashed her a bright grin. Despite herself, she laughed with him, then stared after him as he moved through the crowd towards the tall man.

Smiling, she stared out across the crowd. A lock of hair- freshly washed, at the insistence of the mirror- fell into her eyes, and she blew it out impatiently. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the black-haired man (who, for some reason, was staring at her), stiffen and pale, eyes wide.

Who was he? She remembered something of what Hagrid had said, and guessed that he was Harry Potter. The saviour of the wizarding world. Whoever he was, though, he was starting to irritate her, and she moved back to her compartment, contenting herself with looking out through the window.

Then she heard it.

"But, father...you know that the Death Eaters are gone now. They're disbanded, sadly, but finished."

"Not for long." A low, urgent voice cut across what she thought was a student's nasal whine. "Listen to me, son: I've discovered something wonderful- wonderful! And that might just be the key to this whole thing. That jumped-up Harry Potter- he won't know what's coming to them- the _Boy Who Lived _can't do anything to help. Not here. All I want you to do-"

"Father!"

A flash of face appeared in the corner of the window, paper white. Catrin blanched and threw herself backwards against the seat, hoping with all her heart that they hadn't seen her. They sounded dangerous, and she didn't want to give a fully-grown wizard the chance to toadify her.

An everlasting moment dragged past. Then-

"Let's go. I'll send you an owl." There was the sound of footsteps, barely discernible among the hubbub, and Catrin let out a long sigh of relief. That was lucky, she thought. And then- _what's a Death Eater? _

* * *

><p>In a remarkably short time, the platform cleared of children, and the adults clustered around the doors and windows, shouting goodbyes and pressing forgotten items into their children's hands. A bolt of sadness shot through Catrin. Her parents would never see her off to her new life.<p>

Then the whistle blew loudly, and the train started to move away from the station, chugging slowly past lines of smiling mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Catrin spotted Harry Potter, along with a flame haired woman and two small children. Ron- she thought it was him anyway- was standing next to them, waving.

Gradually, the platform and houses gave way to the rolling green fields of Outer London.

Catrin settled back in her seat, sighing, ready to digest what she'd heard on the platform- and then jumped at the sound of the door sliding open. Two girls walked in- one tall and slender, the other shorter and a little too round to be called slim. One was already in Hogwarts robes, whilst the other was sporting jeans.

"Oh, hello!" Said the taller one, moving across to Catrin and shaking her hand. "We put our luggage in here, too. Do you mind?"

"'Course not." Catrin smiled, watching as the shorter one shook out her honey-coloured curls and extended her hand, too. "My name's Catrin Jones, and you?"

"Well, I'm Mary Jordan, and this here is Nicole Macmillan. It's all rather exciting, isn't it? I mean, away from home for the first time, and all that. Going to Hogwarts! It's always been kind of a dream, you know- well, I know that dad went- mum didn't, she's a Muggle- but all the cool stuff goes on in Hogwarts, doesn't it? Apparently, dad was a trickster genius in his day- not now, though, he's reeeally boring. I mean, why choose to become a _Ministry worker_?"

"Ministry worker?"

"Oh, he works in Experimental Charms. Occasionally slips George Weasley free samples. Y'know, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes? They're close friends, which is cool. Free merchandise, and all that. Though dad won't let me use half of it!"

"I think that might be a good thing." Nicole interjected quietly, with a smile.

The three girls quickly got to know each other. Nicole, it transpired, was from a pure blood family and had always known that she was going to go to Hogwarts. She didn't talk much, but the little she did speak conveyed the impression that she was very perceptive. Mary, on the other hand, talked almost _too _much, speaking about anything and everything that popped into her head. Catrin didn't mind; it helped soothe a little of the awkwardness of meeting each other.

The journey passed quickly, especially when Nicole produced a set of Exploding Snap. They were about halfway through their fifteenth game- Catrin had just about gotten the hang of it, as the exploding cards had caused her to scream embarrassingly the first time around- when the compartment door slid open yet again and another girl walked in. She had a thickset face, and sunken eyes which stared balefully out at the world. She didn't reply, even after Mary had hallooed her several times.

"Is there anything you want?" Nicole finally asked.

"Yeah. Which one's the Mudblood?"

Catrin could tell at once that the girl had said something offensive- both Nicole and Mary hissed and winced, staring at each other, and then at Catrin. The girl did, too. She was already wearing Hogwarts robes, and silver and emerald glinted on her tie and front.

"Is there anything you want?" Catrin asked, this time standing up and facing her down, despite the fact that her knees were shaking and the girl was at least double her size.

"Yeah. I've come to say that you're not welcome in Hogwarts, and to keep your filthy muddy paws away from us. You shouldn't belong in Hogwarts at all, so watch out for the Slytherins. Mudbloods are stupid and steal magic from_ true _wizards."

"Oh yeah? You fit that description pretty well yourself." Catrin answered coolly, and then added a few words in Welsh- "_Heb os nag oni bai, rydch chi'n rhan gwlithod." _

The girl flushed, and stepped forwards menacingly. "Don't spout your filthy muggle rubbish at me."

"_Beth? Ydych chi'n siarad a fi? Mae gwlithod ddim yn gallu siarad."_

Catrin knew the new girls' stiff posture all too well, from years of living on the street. She was going to attack soon. Acting on instinct, she thrust her hand into her pocket and drew out the Decoy, flicking the switch to 'detonate'. Quickly, she grabbed hold of the girl's robes- and thrust the Decoy down the back of her neck.

It went off immediately; hooting and squealing fit to burst. The girl screamed and clawed at the back of her robes, and Mary and Nicole howled with laughter. With a last burning glance at Catrin, she turned tail and sprinted out of the compartment, banging the door shut behind her and cracking the glass.

"Oh-my-god." Choked Mary. "That was _amazing_! Let us in on your plans next time! And cool language skills, by the way. What _was _that?"  
>"Welsh. And who was <em>she<em>?" Asked Catrin nervously, staring at the crack in the door.

"Dorcas Parkinson. She bullies all of the First Years, she's a kind of anti-legend - but you showed her! And those stinking Slytherins! On our first day too! I bet you're a Gryffindor!"

"Well, we'd better not end up in Slytherin now." Was Nicole's grave comment, which stopped the laughing at once.

* * *

><p>The rest of the journey sped quickly by, and soon the train was pulling to a stop outside a long station. The students swarmed out of the doors in a great rush, excited to be back for another year at Hogwarts.<p>

The three girls followed more slowly. Stepping out into the crisp night air, they were pushed along the platform.

"FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS! OVER 'ERE!" The booming voice of Hagrid echoed over the station, attracting their attention.

"Come on!" Catrin called excitedly, grabbing her companions' arms and pulling them towards the source of the noise. When they reached him, Hagrid smiled. "Alrigh'? Okay, then- follow me!"

They trotted after him, separating from the main body of students and heading down a beaten track to a long jetty, on which were tethered about 10 boats. "No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, then levered himself heavily into one, with groaned alarmingly.

The children hastened to oblige- she spotted James Potter with a redhead and a smaller boy positively leaping into their boat- she ended up sharing, with a petite brunette who had a pale pointed face. "Hello." Catrin said politely, but she turned away and didn't answer, tears glinting in her eyes. _Homesickness? _

Slowly, the boats moved away from the jetty, and headed out towards the lake. The first-years craned forward to see better, and suddenly the trees fell away and a gigantic castle was revealed, it's windows gleaming butter-yellow and with spires, turrets, battlements, towers...it was a King's dream.

Even Mary didn't have anything to say but Catrin didn't mind.

It was her new home, and it looked like the best home she could wish for.

The first years were thunderstruck by the sight of the Great Hall. Catrin couldn't compare it to anything she'd seen before, whilst beside her, even Mary was silent. With its thousands of floating candles, hundreds of scrutinizing students and ceiling that looked like it opened up onto the glorious sky outside, she was gobsmacked. Although she couldn't fail to notice the four house tables...and wonder which one she- and Mary and Nicole- would be placed in.

They were led to a stool with an old, battered hat on top, and told to wait. Catrin glanced around her, everyone, with the exception of a few others who she guessed were like her, was gazing avidly at it. "It's going to sing for us." Whispered Mary.

"Sing? You must be-"

Then the hat's brim split open and out of it poured a melody.

_Oh a many thousand years ago_

_When I was newly sewn_

_The founders four, they all agreed _

_To make Hogwarts their home._

_To teach the students sorcery,_

_And prepare them for their life,_

_They wanted magic children_

_But would this lead to strife?_

_Gryffindor, that bold, brave man,_

_Ravenclaw, the smart,_

_Hufflepuff, the kind and loyal,_

_Slytherin, loyal to only his heart,_

_They each would train these young wizards_

_And make them all their own_

_And that is where I do come in,_

_For as I've already shown,_

_I know where you belong,_

_In these houses four,_

_So put me on! Do not delay,_

_And who could ask for more?_

Catrin's mouth had dropped open. She stared as the Hall broke into a round of applause, and then swallowed, feeling butterflies explode in her stomach...

Professor McGonagall got up from her place at the centre of the High Table, and walked around to stand next to the hat. She unfurled a scroll and read out briskly, "Appleby, Michael." A stocky boy with a shock of red hair stumbled up onto the dais, sinking onto the stool. Catrin watched in horrified fascination as McGonagall dropped the hat onto his head, covering his eyes.

A pause. Then...

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The table to their right burst into applause, and Michael Appleby grinned widely, slipping the hat off his head and running over to seat himself with them.

That wasn't so bad, was it? Reasoned Catrin with herself. No talking...but what if the hat thought that she shouldn't be in any house? Beside her, Nicole had gone green, and Mary was muttering under her breath something that sounded like "_Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor..."_

Slowly, the line inched forwards, and all too soon McGonagall was calling "Jones, Catrin!" Catrin stumbled forwards, barely feeling Mary's pat-on-the-back, and trembled her way to the stool. She looked at McGonagall for reassurance, but found none, and the last thing she saw before the hat enveloped her in blackness were the accusing eyes of everyone in the school.


	4. Chapter 3: Sorting and Afterwards

_Right, then...well, well, this _is _interesting... _A voice suddenly sounded in her head and she jumped. _Well, where to put you? A sharp mind, loyalty...ambition, now that is interesting. You remind me of your father...but, like him, there was only ever really one choice for you. "_GRYFFINDOR!"

Catrin barely heard the hat shout the word to the room, shocked as she was. _Wait, wait. _She thought desperately. _Who's my father? Where is he? What do you know?_

But McGonagall was lifting the hat from her head, and she was in light once more, with a whole table cheering her on. Hesitantly, feeling as though her legs had jellified, she walked over to the table and almost fell into her seat with a couple of other recruits.

Quietly, she watched the sorting: Mary, who was right after her, got sorted into Gryffindor too, much to her delight, but Nicole went to "HUFFLEPUFF!" She watched James Potter swagger up to the stool, and be pronounced "GRYFFINDOR!" within moments of the hat touching his head. Several others joined him, the last of which was a flame-haired boy named "Weasley, Fred."

McGonagall waved her wand and both the hat and stool disappeared, and then cleared her throat for attention.

"Welcome, all students. Before we get started on this wonderful feast, let us remember some cardinal rules of Hogwarts, for our safety as much as yours. I, for one, am not wishing to see a repeat of last year."

Several people sniggered, and Catrin wondered what had happened 'last year'.

"Therefore, Mr Filch has asked me to tell you that the list of banned items, now extended to 954 forbidden things, will be available for perusal in his office, and that on no account are _any _students to enter the Forbidden Forest. Hogsmeade visits will begin shortly, and you will find a list of dates up on the notice board of your common rooms. Now, let us all get started for a day of learning tomorrow."  
>She clapped her hands, and, miraculously, the tables filled with steaming portions of every kind of food Catrin could name- mint humbugs, roast, chips, sausages...<p>

Grinning from ear to ear, she scooped a bit of everything she could reach onto her place- including the humbugs- and tucked in hungrily, as the students were doing around her.

Gradually the conversation around her began to flow, concerning the new students.

"Good haul this year, don't you think?" Asked a blonde boy from further up the table. "Hey, Teddy! Bet you're glad James and Fred got sorted into Gryffindor."

"I would have disowned them if they weren't, Rufus." Replied a grinning boy who was sporting a magnificent shock of blue hair. Laughter spread up the table, and James shouted, "Oi!"  
>"Where are you from, then?" Teddy asked the blonde girl who had been sitting next to Catrin. As he shifted forwards, Catrin saw the gleam of gold on his robes, and could just make out a gleaming badge.<p>

"I'm Alice Longbottom." She replied. She was quiet, but she looked Teddy straight in the eyes as she replied.

"Oh, wow." Sighed Mary enviously. "You'd better be good at Herbology, you know. No teacher preferences!"

Alice pulled a face. "I'm awful at it." She sighed, shaking her head. "Dad gets very frustrated, but-" she shrugged "-what can you do?"

"You'll be fine." Another girl chirped up from a couple of seats further on. She was stunningly beautiful- Catrin could see a good couple of boys- Teddy included- staring raptly at her. "Everyone says Neville was really bad at every other subject until 7th year. Anyway, you're in Gryffindor, and that's the only thing that matters!"  
>"Hey, Victoire! No favouritism!" Yelled Fred, who had to shout to make himself heard. "We love <em>all <em>houses...and we don't hate anyone from Slytherin on sight. We are mature!"

"You said it, not me." Victoire shrugged and helped herself to some more chips.  
>"How about you?" Asked a lanky boy from up the table. Catrin glanced up- and froze as she realised he was staring directly at her. Clearing her throat, she spoke up.<p>

"I'm...nothing special. I don't think my parents expected me to go to Hogwarts." No, they definitely hadn't.

"Nothing special?" choked Mary, putting down her fork. "You should've seen her on the train, facing off to Dorcas Parkinson!"  
>"<em>What<em>?" Came several stunned voices from both up-and down- the table. Catrin blushed magenta and buried her head in her hands.

But Mary was relentless. Shaking back her magnificent head of hair, she declared: "Parkinson came into our compartment on the train- you know, bullying the first-years- and suddenly, Catrin stands up, squares up to her, and..." She paused dramatically. "..._and_ shoves a Decoy Detonator down the back of her robes! She almost wet herself!"

The Gryffindors roared with laughter, and Catrin thought it safe to remove her head from her hands. Everyone was looking very impressed- including, she saw with satisfaction, James Potter.

"A true Gryffindor!" roared the boy next to her, banging Catrin so hard on the back that she almost choked. "Sorry. M'names Louis." She looked up at him, and realised that he must be Victoire's brother- he had the same good looks, for one.

"Charmed." She grinned up at him.

The dinner passed quickly, despite the amount of food that was eaten, and by the time the last desserts had vanished from the plates, Catrin felt remarkably sleepy. Yawning widely, she only just realised that everyone was leaving when Mary grabbed her arm and pulled after her.

Teddy- who was Head Boy, it seemed- led the sluggish first-years through a labyrinth of corridors, staircases, through real doors and hidden tapestries. Catrin knew that she was going to have trouble finding her way down to the Great Hall in the morning.

After what seemed like a never-ending tramp, they all ground to a halt in front of a portrait of a huge, fat woman wearing a salmon pink dress. Catrin frowned; what was Teddy expecting to do? Have a conversation? The next moment, her mouth dropped open as the picture _moved, _actually _moved! _Raising a chubby arm, she cocked her head and spoke. "Password?"

"Devil's Snare." Teddy spoke confidently, and, in front of their eyes, the portrait swung open on its hinges, revealing a circular hole that they all climbed through.

Once through, Catrin stared around her in wonder: the Gryffindor common-room was large and circular, hung with red drapes and portraits apart from where huge windows opened out into the night. Tables and squishy armchairs were scattered haphazardly around the room, along with other things: a bookcase full of battered books stood in shadows, along with several cupboards and a notice board. A fire was blazing merrily in the grate, casting flickering shadows over everything.

"This is the Gryffindor Common Room." Teddy announced, smiling slightly at the looks on their faces.

"It's amazing." Catrin mouthed to Mary, who grinned back and nodded, but Teddy wasn't done.

"This will be like your home when you are in Hogwarts, and this house, like your family. You will spend the majority of your time here, along with other members, so try not to mess it up. The two staircases behind you lead to the boy's and girl's dormitories: girls, first floor on the right staircase, boys, the same on your left. You will be handed your timetables tomorrow in the Great Hall along with the rest of the school. So, sleep tight! Tomorrow's going to be a big day."  
>Smiling, he gestured behind him, allowing the tired first years to flock up the stairs to their respective bedrooms.<p>

The bedroom that Catrin would be sharing with Mary, Alice and another girl named Valerie Fletcher was round and low-ceilinged, with large four-poster beds set in a circle. A small stove puffed happily in the middle of the room, and their trunks were at the foot of each bed.

"It's lovely." Sighed Catrin happily. It was, it was perfect. Could she really be spending the next year here?

Squealing and talking about tomorrow, the girls hastily clambered into bed- Mary and Valerie experimenting with the curtains.

"Night." Yawned Alice from behind her velvet drapes.

"Night."

"Goodnight, and see you all tomorrow!"  
>When the room finally fell silent, Catrin lay back on her pillows and stared at the ceiling. She remembered what the Sorting Hat had told her- it had sorted her <em>father<em>... so, he'd gone to Hogwarts! Or maybe it'd just heard his name in passing...whatever it meant, she knew now that he'd had some connection, however small, to the Wizarding World.

She'd find out what it meant tomorrow.

Tomorrow saw the four girls up after one of the best night's sleep that Catrin had ever known. Slipping their school robes on, they raced downstairs to find the sky outside the windows a clear, cloudless blue.

"Alright, girls?" Came a voice behind them, and when they turned, it was to find Fred Weasley and James Potter smirking at them. "Coming down to breakfast?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Their initial good mood didn't last long, however: even with Fred's, James', Alice's and Mary's tales about the castle, it took them a good half-an-hour to navigate their way around. Moods turned for the worse when they stumbled across a trick stair, but fortunately Alice's spotting of a tapestry she was 'sure she'd seen the night before' got them down to the Great Hall just in time.

Professor McGonagall was already moving along the table, handing out sheaves of parchment to the students. Catrin threw herself onto the bench and had just started on a generous helping of porridge when she arrived at their bench.

"Here you are." She said sternly, handing them out. "Classes start in ten minutes, so don't be late."  
>"Wouldn't dream of it, Professor!" Fred flashed McGonagall the most innocent of smiles, which she did not seem taken in by.<p>

"Make sure of that." She added, before moving on down the table.

Catrin paused in her eating to examine the parchment in front of her. The classes weren't like any she _thought _schools taught...instead they looked to be a hundred times better.

"Double Charms with the Ravenclaws, that's not so bad..." Mary mumbled, scanning the page.

"But look, Catrin...Potions with the Slytherins. Oh no!"

"Defence against the Dark Arts looks interesting." Catrin said through a mouthful of porridge.

"If you like being taught how to defend yourself against being turned into a jelly, then yes." Said James, grinning. "Though I don't think I need any help with _that_._" _He added, flashing a grin at Fred.

Catrin rolled her eyes.

Their first lesson- Potions- was situated in the dungeons, which wasn't difficult to find, though extremely cold.

The Gryffindors lined up on one side, the Slytherins on the other, and stared at each other, hostility etched on their faces. It was with relief that the door banged open and out of it came a short, thin man with a magnificent beard but little else on his head. He seemed unconcerned by the tension in the air, instead beaming broadly and saying "Welcome, welcome to Potions! Whilst you are here, I think that you will find this one of the most rewarding aspects of your studies- there is nothing quite as intoxicating as the fumes of a simmering brew! Some of you will already have the touch of Potioneering, whilst the latent skills of others will be gently coaxed into being. I'll make an Outstanding class of you yet!"

He beamed at them, and some students cautiously returned his broad grin.

"My name is Professor Merrythimble. Come on in!"

"He's very nice for someone who lives in the coldest, wettest part of the school." Muttered Catrin to Alice, who giggled.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins quickly found their own desks to sit at, many of them pulling out cauldrons and sitting there expectantly. Professor Merrythimble, meanwhile, seemed to take no notice, and instead started on a speech about the different properties of potions.

Catrin, along with most of the others, listened intently for about 10 minutes, and then felt her concentration start to waver. She nudged Mary, who nudged her back, and who then started prodding the underside of her cauldron with her hand, muttering random words under her breath as she did so.

"...I think you'll come to agree with me that _some _potions, like the Wiggenweld one, and the Babbling Beverage, are easier to brew than others..."

"_Marcus jugglio, enherus skimlis, magics odfans..."_

_BOOM!_

The whole class jumped in shock as the bottom of Mary's cauldron blew up, sending an acrid smoke into the air and giving Catrin and Mary, who were sitting nearest her, a huge coughing fit.

"Dear dear, a little overexcited, are we?" Professor Merrythimble beamed down at her. He waved his wand, repairing the cauldron and dispelling the smoke. Mary, whose hair was standing on end and whose face was severely blackened, couldn't disguise her blush.

"Well, we'd better get started before some more children decide to blow up things." Professor Merrythimble waved his hands genially. "Open your Potions' textbooks to page 56- we shall have a go at brewing a simple Colour-Changing Concoction. Don't drink any unless you want your skin to turn green!"


	5. Chapter 4: The Plot Thickens

**Hey guys. Do I really need a disclaimer? Naah... **

**Enjoy! R & R, if that's what everyone else says!**

The first week passed in a confusing blur, which Catrin could remember little of except getting lost. But there were some lessons too: there was Charms with Professor Flitwick, who was so small and old his gnarled skin resembled a walnut, and who had them endlessly practicing the 'swish and flick' movement needed to levitate objects; Transfiguration with Professor Patil, who had impressed them greatly with her ability to change desks into porcupines and back (none of them had yet been able to replicate the feat). Not counting Herbology, in which Catrin and Mary were nearly strangled by an innocent-looking plant that turned out to be Devils' Snare; A History of Magic, which was taught by an aged ghost (he'd given them all a nasty shock when he'd suddenly glided through the blackboard one morning) and had the magical power of being able to send them all to sleep; and Astronomy with Professor Logarith during which the moon and stars apparently took on deep, mystical meanings.

It was all so mind-bogglingly different from anything that Catrin had known that she'd had difficulty adjusting at first, however by Saturday she'd eventually found her way down to the Great Hall with Alice without getting lost once.

"Morning." She said cheerfully to Valerie, who was staring morosely at an untouched piece of toast. "You look like you slept well."

Valerie gazed blearily up at her. "I was up for ages last night after my ink bottle spilled all over my books. I had to get a fifth-year to help siphon it off, eventually."

"Nasty." Alice smiled sympathetically at the lethargic girl, who grimaced back. Catrin decided not to mention that she had trouble writing with quills too, as well as the fact that she was re-learning how to write: her time on the streets had left her literacy skills a little the worse for wear.

"And that's not all: it's Flying Lessons today."

"Oh yeah..."

Actually, Catrin had thought a great deal about the new hot issue circling the first-years: learning to fly on a broomstick. The idea seemed all at once terrifying and exhilarating- how amazing would it be to actually fly? And then fall off, obviously, but she was trying not to think about that.

"I remember when Dad tried to teach me to fly." Alice said reminiscently. "He says that I didn't get my ability from him- he fell off the broom and broke his wrist first time he tried- well, he says so anyway."

That was the other thing about flying: everyone else regaling them with tales of how they had almost been sighted by Muggles, or ran into hang-gliders, or _nearly _been spotted on 'vidie-oo'. For people with no experience of the magical world, it seemed that all the others were immediate experts. Just yesterday Catrin had heard Fred boasting about the time he'd outflown Harry Potter himself and gotten to the Snitch before him.

"They're all a lot of braggers." Mary said bracingly when she voiced these fears, but that didn't stop Catrin from losing her appetite slightly, especially now it was _the day_.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, the first-years trooped down to the grounds, where a stern-faced woman was waiting at the front of two rows of broomsticks. Catrin noticed that her eyes were as yellow as a hawks'.<p>

"Well? What are you all waiting for? Everybody stand beside a broomstick, quick quick!"

The class hastened to oblige, scrambling to stand beside the least mouldy-looking broom. Catrin ended up standing next to Fred Weasley and a hefty Slytherin boy who she thought was named Macnair.

She also noticed that Fred, for all his boasting, was looking distinctly nervous at the prospect of flying one of the rotting tree-trunks that constituted the schools' brooms.

"Are _these _supposed to keep us _in the air_?" She whispered before she could stop herself.

Fred flashed a grin at her. "You never know, Jones. They might fall to pieces before we fly above 10 feet: if we're lucky, that is."

Catrin gulped and stared back down at the offending item.

"Everybody stick your hand over your broom, and shout 'UP'." Hooch called sternly.

Everybody did so- Catrin included, and was surprised to feel her broom snap to her hand, like it was on elastic. Suddenly, she felt a little braver. Fred's had done the same; so had James', but Valerie and Macnair were having a little more trouble. "Up- _up_!" He snarled as the broom skittered around below him.

Catrin couldn't help herself; she laughed, and immediately Macnair rounded on her.  
>"You think it's so funny, Mudblood?" He growled. "I'd try not to get too smug; wait 'till you're in the air."<p>

"If you can't get the broom into the air now, what's the chance you'll be able to knock me off mine? Obviously you must be part 'Mudblood' yourself." She retorted, and heard Fred snort, and whisper "Nicely done, Jones."

Hooch hadn't noticed any of this. Instead, she proceeded to instruct them in how to mount their brooms, and then how to "kick off hard; we don't want any brooms hovering where you left them."

"We'll let you try your strengths today, and get accustomed to flying before we attempt anything else." She finished, and then blew her whistle.

Catrin kicked off; pushing against the ground, she felt the broom rise in response to her motion, and then she was flying, actually flying! The wind whipped at her hair and stung her cheeks as she wobbled around cautiously, unable to help a wild grin of elation spread across her face. Then she realised something: she didn't know how to move. And therefore, she was, in effect, a sitting duck for Macnair.

Glancing around, she took in the others: Mary was having just as much trouble as her, along with the rest of the class, whilst James, Fred and a couple of others were zipping around –as much as one could zip on _this _type of broom- with relative ease. Macnair was nowhere to be seen.

She looked around cautiously- nope. Which was just as well, as she was a pretty obvious target up here. She felt so isolated! What if she fell?

Then-

"Hey, Mudblood- look out!" Catrin gasped, glanced around frantically- just in time for an immense weight to soar up beneath her and knock her off her broom.

* * *

><p>"That bully!"<p>

"Don't worry, Mary."

"Revenge! Come on! I'm serious!"

"So am I."

Catrin stared down at the parchment on which she was supposed to be describing the different tinctures used in Defence Against the Dark Arts to stop inflammation curses. As she watched, a drop of ink splashed onto the creamy surface. After Macnair had knocked her off her broom, Hooch had screamed at everyone to come back down at once and let her tend to Miss Jones, which she had done so. Fortunately, the scratches weren't that bad- she had grabbed a fistful of Macnair's robes as she'd fallen- but enough for Hooch to call an end to the practice and storm off, muttering about how flying lessons always went wrong.

Obviously, flying was not her forte. Catrin was loath to get back on a broom again, which was just as well since they only had a couple more lessons to go and Macnair had been banned from further practices and marched off the Head of Slytherin for a round of shouting.

Then she remembered something.

"Hey, guys- I've got something which might help for revenge! It's Macnair's!" Mary leaned forwards eagerly, and Alice smiled. Together they watched as Catrin drew out a slim square of folded paper that she had torn out of Macnair's pocket whilst grabbing his robes, and slowly unfolded it.

_Hi Mum, Dad_

_Thanks for your letter, and just to let you know, Slytherin is great! Just purebloods and a couple of half-bloods, no muddy muck to worry us here. _

_Just to let you know: I talked to Lestrange, and he's hidden the item in the room of reflections, so no worries. I'm not sure about how it works, but he says don't worry, it'll be suitable for the purposes. I don't think Potter's son will be able to do anything about it, either: it's too well hidden._

_When are you sending my first food package? Mum, you said you'd send some cauldron cakes for my friends. Come on!_

_Richard_

There was silence for a couple of minutes whilst the trio read the parchment, and then Alice let out a long, slow whistle. "Well, this is interesting."

"Yes, it is..." Catrin stared down at the letter. What was the 'item'? And where was the 'room of reflections'? It all sounded very confusing...not to mention suspicious.

"Yeah!" Mary squealed, mischief alight in her eyes. "'First food package?' Come on guys! I think the time is right for a little trickery...what say you?"

"Yes." Alice said firmly. When Catrin flashed her a surprised glance she grinned. "What? I think that Macnair's got it coming to him."

"Too right." She murmured, staring at the paper. "Too right he has."

* * *

><p>"And swish and flick, that's right, class! Just remember to pronounce 'Leviosa' correctly." Trilled Flitwick from his perch atop a pile of teetering volumes. "Try not to blow up your feathers less than ten minutes into the lesson too: I had a student once who managed it in about three...off you go!"<p>

The classroom was filled with energetic wand-waving and shouts of 'Wingardium Leviosa'. More than one feather caught fire, and several starting zooming crazily around the lampshade, out of control.

Catrin loved Charms.

She had just spent the last few minutes finalizing details with Valerie, Mary and Alice vis-à-vis Macnair, and now she was having just as much trouble as the others with levitation, cool as it had seemed at first.

"Wingard- Wingardiume- oh bother!" Mary's feather started undulating vigorously on the spot, like it was doing an invisible conga, and Alice's feather started smoking ominously at the edges.

Alice stared at the waving fronds, then looked at Mary and Catrin seriously. "Guess what happened recently? Dad's just told me."

"Apart from him being made Head of Gryffindor House?" Teased Mary. This had been the subject of many discussions recently, so much so that Catrin had tended to stop listening whenever 'Gryffindor' was mentioned.

"Apart from that." Alice dismissed. "There's been another disappearance."

"What do you mean, 'another'?" Catrin felt her insides ice up like they'd been stuck in a freezer, and she stared at her friend.

Across the table, Valerie's blue eyes widened. "You don't know?"

"No..." Catrin didn't read the Daily Prophet, as she had no money to pay the delivery owl. "But fill me in."

"Well, the first one- Lavender Thomas- disappeared about a week ago. No trace at all. Scary, huh? I asked Dad; apparently, he knew her." Alice explained.

"Yeah..." Catrin frowned. No trace at all? That sounded like magic...but who would do that? Especially in this era, post-Voldemort...

Alice ploughed on, oblivious to her friend's ponderings. "And the other one happened yesterday: apparently, Maria Creevey had her mother over, and she went into the kitchen- then, poof! There was _nobody there._ Dad's spooked. He knew both of them, apparently."

Catrin glanced across the room, through the chaos, to Michael Thomas, Lavender's son. He was sitting there numbly, not even bothering to wave his wand. She felt a pang of empathy- she, too, knew what it was like to lose a mother.

Mary glanced up from trying to subdue her energetic feather, and shuddered theatrically. "That's so creepy: are there any clues left behind?"

"Apparently some liquid on the floor, but nothing apart from that. I bet it's a potion of some kind." Valerie interjected eagerly.

"If only we had some ourselves, then we could figure out what's happening." Mary said enthusiastically.

"Yes, we're all regular detectives..." began Catrin.

"No, I'm serious. Obviously the Ministry hasn't done anything yet, so why can't we? Weren't Harry Potter and his friends solving mysteries in their first year here?"

"True." Valerie grinned. "But we're hardly up to their standard. Forget it, Mare."

"Once we're able to master this spell, then we will be." Mary closed her eyes and began waving her wand erratically. Catrin turned her attention to the feather. It couldn't be that hard...

_Swish and flick_...

"Wingardium Leviosa!" The feather teetered uncertainly- then slowly, steadily, bobbed up to the ceiling where it batted gently against the wood. Catrin grinned, a surge of triumph crashing through her like a wave. She had done it!

"Oh well done!" Squealed tiny Professor Flitwick. "Ten well-earned points to Gryffindor, Miss Jones."

And then-

"And Mr Weasley! Excellently done! Oh, go on then- another ten points to Gryffindor!" Surprised, Catrin glanced across the room to see another floating quill, directed by a grinning Fred Weasley. James was beside him, watching the feather with interest. That, she had to admit, soured her victory a little, but-

Beside them, Michael Thomas stared down at his feather with all the interest of a dying man. Catrin's stomach clenched.

"You know," she said quietly to Mary. "If Potter and Weasley are half as good as they say they are, they might be able to help."


	6. Chapter 5: Plots and Prats

**Hey guys. Just gotta say thanks to the random stranger who reviewed- thank you! Here's the next chapter- a bit of action for ya. Read and Review!**

* * *

><p>The next day passed in a whirl, and soon it was time for the first years' plan to spring into action. "All ready?" Catrin asked Mary quietly, as they entered the Great Hall on Friday morning. She nodded, looking a little green. "Alice got some last night. She says her dad was confused, but didn't think she could do anything harmful with them!"<p>

"Good one!"

Not wanting to draw any attention, they sat down and busied themselves with breakfast, although Catrin's appetite had shrunk steadily over the past couple of minutes.

"Alright girlies?" Catrin looked up to see James Potter swinging into the seat beside her and reaching for the milk jug in the same move. "Got anything planned for today besides spending time with me and Fred, gorgeous as we are?"

"Well, you might want to wait until Herbology."

"Oh. And why would that be? 'Cause I'm there? Come on, admit it!" James grinned cockily and reached for the cornflakes.

"Don't tell him anything!" Mary piped up from Catrin's other side, and then grasped Catrin's arm so hard that it hurt. "_Look!"_

The post had arrived- this was another thing that had freaked Catrin out the first time she'd seen it. She and Mary watched avidly as the birds swooped over the tables, dropping packages and letters into the laps of their delighted recipients. A particularly large box landed in Macnair's lap, and as he tore off the wrapping, the Slytherins started cheering, and then clustered round him.

"What's that brute doing? Are you crushing on a troll, Jones? If this is a prank, I'll be giving it marks out of ten. And I'll be miffed that me and Fred didn't manage it first." James had followed Catrin's line of sight, and was looking perplexed.

She sighed. "Wait and see. I don't think you're paying much attention at the moment. Did you get enough sleep?"

"I'm paying plenty of attention, Jones. What makes you think otherwise?"

"Potter, you're pouring milk into your lap."

And with that, she and Mary left the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>Herbology was the first lesson on the timetable, and after breakfast the first years slogged through the mud to the greenhouses and an irate Professor Longbottom. Despite his crankiness, Catrin rather liked him- he had a pleasant, quiet air about him, but at the same time a kind of inner strength that made her suspect that he was quite capable of replicating the feats which had passed into Hogwarts legend.<p>

"Gather round, children. Today we'll be tackling bloomalias. Now be careful, the seed is capable of putting someone to sleep for at least a week if stewed correctly, and if eaten it gives you hallucinations. But that's not what we'll be doing, today, class. Instead..."

Across the room, Catrin saw Macnair smirking and talking to a boy with a pale, pointed face whom she suspected was Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius. Across from them, she saw Fred and James looking at her. James arched his eyebrow at her. _Well?_

Then, all of a sudden, Scorpius Malfoy screamed. Everyone in the class whipped around to see what was happening, only to find him obscured by a thick tangle of blond locks, which was rapidly growing to reach the floor. Then Dorcas Parkinson started hopping up and down on the spot, the reason for which was quickly explained when flowers started to grow from every orifice, turning her into a living greenhouse.

In succession, the rest of the Slytherins sprouted melons for noses, sunflower petals for hair and started popping seeds out of their ears. Macnair seemed to have- unfortunately- acquired all three symptoms. He stared around helplessly- and then his gaze fell on Mary, Catrin, Alice and Valerie, all four of whom were laughing hysterically, unable to stop.

The fact that they were the only ones in the class might have given the game away, although Fred and James were trying unsuccessfully to mask their snorts. Malfoy glared at Catrin, and she saw the confusion in his eyes obscured by a rapidly swelling hatred, though she couldn't stop.

"STOP!" Bellowed Longbottom, charging through the class. "I suppose _you _were the ones who took itchypod seeds from my private stores without telling me? And you have the nerve to take them _in my classroom_? What about my lacewing flies, then? And the entire stock of kneazle spleen? Come with me to see your head of house _immediately_!"

_Impressive. _Mouthed Fred across the room at her, and she grinned back. James was looking dumbfounded. She arched her eyebrow at him- in between fits of giggles, and was rewarded with a reluctant score of ten. Hah!

The victims shot daggers at the girls as they left the classroom, especially Macnair, but for Catrin, the moment had never been sweeter, and she savoured every moment of it. She'd surprised herself: who would've known that quiet Catrin Jones had a hidden prankster inside her that relished these moments?

The rest of the lesson progressed extremely quietly, but if the whispering was anything to go by, the incident would have circulated the Hogwarts grapevine by the end of next lesson at least. And the best thing was, nobody would know who did it!

Although maybe not all: as the girls left for their next lesson- Transfiguration- Professor Longbottom called them over to one side.

"I've got a hunch that you were behind that piece of trickery, judging by your reactions." He said quietly. "Now, I can't say for sure, but I hope that those Slytherins deserved it. Now I can't claim to be your parent- well, for most of you-" here he glared at Alice, who quailed slightly "-but you might want to tone it down, as those kids were glaring pure murder at you. But that might not be a problem, who knows? I know some Gryffindors who were-are- excellent duellers."

He smiled at them, and, taken by surprise, the girls grinned back.

"You're surprisingly cool, Professor Longbottom." Mary beamed, which caused him to chuckle.

"I do try. Now, hurry along, girls. Don't want to be late for Professor Patil."

* * *

><p>The bewildering rush of hustle and bustle meant that before anyone knew it, the days slipped into October, and chilly draughts penetrated the castle. Catrin enjoyed going out into the grounds and feeling the wind whip around her, spinning red-gold leaves off the trees in the Forbidden Forest and dancing around her feet. Her spellwork was getting better every day; Wingardium Leviosa wasn't the only magic she could cast now, thank goodness. It was still a little patchy, though, which was a source of great frustration, especially when writing essays about magical theory.<p>

"God, Catrin: look at your writing!" Mary exclaimed one night. They were sitting in a table in the corner of the Common Room, finishing a vile essay for Defence Against the Dark Arts on the characteristics and passing-overs of ghosts.

Startled, Catrin looked down at her writing. Apart from the occasional splotches were the ink had fallen onto the paper (she was just about getting the hang of quill-writing now) it looked pretty good to her.

"What?"

"Well, I'm sorry, Cat, but it's awful!"

"Nah..." Catrin scratched her hair with her quill. "Looks fine."

"Cat, I'm sorry, but...no other word for it. It's a mess! You can't spell- and what's this? _The pryperties of Devil's Snare are _cyffredin_? _Some of these words aren't even in English!"

Catrin flushed, leaning back in her chair and tousling her hair. It was true that her writing skills weren't bang to rights- but had she needed them on the streets? No! They'd fallen into disuse, really, that was all.

Mary cocked her head, looking curiously at her. "Catrin, where did you go to school?"

"I didn't." She mumbled under her breath.

"_What_? How can you not have-"

"Drop it, Mare."

Mary scowled, and then brightened almost immediately. "Will you get writing lessons?"

"What! No, never."

"If I...go and insult a teacher to their face and then drop a dungbomb in their class, would you?"

"No!"

"Why not, I would. Okay...I've got it. If you fail this essay, you've got to take just one lesson. With someone nice. Like...Teddy Lupin. Because if you fail, it'll be because of your spelling."

Catrin scowled, but saw no discernible way out. "Fine. But you've got to get Teddy to agree. And _don't tell anyone_."

"You won't regret it." Mary stuck her hand solemnly over the table, and Catrin shook, smiling in spite of herself. "And by the way, all the Slytherins got detention 'till the end of term. Apparently all they could do in their defence was pop seeds out of every orifice and stammer!"

"Revenge is best served extremely cold..." Catrin mused, checking her watch- then she blanched. "God! I've got extra Transfiguration!"

Mary, who had already done her Transfiguration homework, smirked and leaned backwards in her chair. "Have fun. And remember what I said about Teddy Lupin."

"Wouldn't dream of forgetting." Catrin muttered, swinging her bag over her shoulder on her way out of the common room.

The corridors were oddly quiet for this time of day; she supposed everyone was at lessons or something. Relishing the quiet, which she got so little of nowadays, Catrin navigated her way to the second floor near Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Apparently, the entrance to a secret chamber was in there. She stopped in front of the adjoining wall. Legend had it that a student had once daubed words there- in blood. Leaning closer, she squinted at the stonework. Was that some red she could see?

"Didn't your parents teach you not to go wandering the corridors alone?" A snide voice sounded from behind her.

Catrin's heart almost failed her. Spinning around, she found herself almost nose to nose with the pockmarked sneer of Macnair, and behind him- her heart sank- one, no, two other Slytherins, one with a pale, pointed face, the other looking like a troll crossed with a grizzly.

"What d'you want?" She asked steadily, reaching into her pocket and grasping her wand.

"To teach you a lesson, Mudblood, since you have no parents to do it for you."

An icy chill swept her. _How do they know about my parents?_

She didn't let it show, though. "Get out of the way, and tell your goons to leave me alone."

"Touchy, touchy." Macnair laughed, clearly relishing the moment, and gestured behind him. "Malfoy and McLaggen weren't best pleased with being turned into plants."  
>Bluff, bluff, bluff! Her brain screamed at her.<p>

"How do you know it was me?"

"I may not be a sphinx, but I know your handwriting- or should I say, _scribblewriting_, anywhere, Jones."

If she got out of this, she'd take as many lessons with Teddy as Mary wanted. Someone, help! She knew no defensive spells, unless transfiguration counted...

"Now, payback. I've heard your magic, like your writing, leaves something to be desired. Not surprising, seeing the rubbish Defence against the Dark Arts teaches nowadays. Fortunately, Malfoy..." He gestured behind him "...has some experience in these matters."

Malfoy- the one who'd been covered in hair- stepped forwards, wand at the ready. Catrin's brain suddenly kicked into overdrive, scarily focussed on the wand. She gripped her own- and then her previously undiscovered smart mouth kicked in.

"Malfoy? Oh, the one whose father was a coward. McLaggen, who looks like a troll/giant hybrid and you, Macnair, who begs his mummy and daddy for sweeties. You're all pathetic!"

Malfoy's pale face flushed with rage, and he raised his wand.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

All of them spun around, to see Alice, Fred and James glaring at them from down the corridor, wands raised.

McLaggen sneered. "Please. You can't even cast proper spells ye-"

"Rictusempra!" A bolt of light shot from Alice's wand and slammed into him. McLaggen froze, eyes bulging almost comically, and then zoomed backwards into the wall. Something cracked. Not the wall.

Macnair yelled and sent a bolt of light flying back at them; James and Fred retaliated, slashing with their wands and hitting him with five separate spells. Macnair crumpled on the spot, leaving only Malfoy, who yelled "FLAGRANTE!", a blistering purple spell which cracked the wall behind Alice. James only just pulled her out of the way in time.

Malfoy looked frantically around, seemed to realise that he was outnumbered, and fled, knocking a tall Ravenclaw, who had just rounded the corner, aside as he did so.

Catrin felt something hit her, slamming her against the wall. She gasped for breath, but none came. She slid slowly down onto the floor, unable to do anything else.

Then there was silence.


	7. Chapter 6: A Bruise and Some Clues

**Hey guys! Thanks to alycya and Rue for the reviews...made my day!**

**Another chapter...hopefully not too much of a let down to the cliffhanger from before (mwahaha!)**

**Enjoy! And review**

* * *

><p>"Catrin...? Hello? Can you hear me?"<p>

Blurred faces swam above Catrin, looking as indistinct as clouds.

"Kitty-cat, wake up! Come on, you soft touch! It was only a stunner!"

"It slammed her into the wall, though. Should we get Madam Pomfrey?"

That was Fred's voice...she thought.

Catrin blinked, and the world suddenly shifted into focus. With the focus came the pain; aching all down her back like she'd spent a night in the gutter. She groaned.

"Can you hear us?"

She struggled to form words. "Yes...idiots."

There was a pause, and then she levered herself upright, ignoring the stiffness in her arms. Her ink bottle had smashed over everything, and soaked her robes in a residue of black shadow. Catrin stretched experimentally, taking an inventory of her various bruises, none of which she deemed too bad.

Then she looked up into the faces of her friends- well, Alice. Plus James and Fred.

"Hey guys." She croaked. "Thanks for saving me."

Alice sniffed. "We thought we were too late! Potter and Weasley only just spotted you in time and nabbed me on the way to come and get you!"

"It looked like Malfoy was having a bit _too _much fun, if you know what I mean." Fred tucked his wand behind his ear and grinned at James. "Sadly, we were there to deal with him."

"Lovely." Catrin stood up slowly, and picked up her bag- which had miraculously escaped the drenching- and the remains of her ink bottle. "Cheers, guys. I think Macnair was more wound up by the prank than I realised- who knew that vegetables could be so bad for you?"

James' face darkened. "I thought he was up to no good-I heard that his father taught him Dark Magic."

"There was someone talking about that on the train here." Catrin had only just remembered her brush with the mysterious stranger, and recounted the conversation to the others. Afterwards, there was silence.

"_Death Eaters?" _Alice had gone pale. "What? Why now? Dad hardly talks about them. He says-" she lowered her voice "-he says that's why my grandparents are...not all there. He won't tell me why though."

"The Death Eaters were disbanded, though." Fred mused, running a hand through his hair. "They're finished...so..."

"So where's the threat coming from?" James asked.

"Precisely, Jammy."

"Well, I'll keep my eyes open." Catrin said seriously. "But- oh no! I've got to go: extra Transfig."

"After slamming into the wall like a wrecking ball? I don't think so, Kitty-cat." James shook his head vigorously, causing his curls to perform little dances on top of his head.

"You really need to learn how to defend yourself." Alice grinned at her- a most unAlice-like grin.

"I can more than take care of myself." Catrin scoffed, stretching out the sore muscles in her body as she did so. "Though I'd like to learn some spells."  
>"No chance, Jones." James interjected hastily, walking towards her. "Trade secrets. Defending yourself without spells, though? Risky, risky...what happens if I was a kidnapper, and I did- <em>this<em>?"

He lunged forward, intending to put his wand at her throat, but she was too quick for him. Ducking out from under his lunge, she grabbed his outstretched wand hand, spun herself around, braced herself, then quickly and neatly heaved him over the shoulder and onto his back. She whipped out her wand and pointed it at him.  
>"Yes? What if you did <em>that<em>?"

James flushed; Fred stifled a guffaw. "Nice try, James."

"If they saw us fighting in the corridor..." Alice was back to her usual self, but neither Catrin, James nor Fred paid her any attention. All Catrin's attention was focussed on the potential threat, but she knew that when she looked back on the event she would feel scared by how she really felt _alive _at the times when her personal safety was in danger.

James got up again, slowly and- Catrin guessed- painfully. "Right. No wands this time, Jones. No cheating."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

He came at her again- again, Catrin sidestepped him, and efficiently swiped his legs out from under him, twisting his arms until he gasped.

"Had enough?" She asked. James groaned; his ego was probably as bruised as his body. Carefully, he stood, wincing as he did so, and then stared at her.

"Where the _hell _did you learn that?"

She shrugged, not wanting to go into the details of going to judo until she was ten, and then how her living rough had forced her to have to defend herself against people of all sizes. "I just...picked it up, I guess."

"Picked it..." Alice, James and Fred gaped at her, and she shuffled self-consciously. "What?"

"Right, Jones." Fred announced. "Remind me never to get on _your _bad side."

This reminded her of something.

"Er...I don't suppose you know about a 'room of reflections', do you?"

"A what?" Fred frowned, James scoffed. "Has all the fighting addled your brains?"  
>"I was only wondering because Macnair said something about it, in the letter to his parents..." She trailed off, cursing herself for letting that slip.<p>

"Woah. You really are ahead of us in the prank stakes, Jones! Pick pocketing Macnair? You're a regular Fagin." Fred grinned widely. "Next time, count us in!"

James, however, wasn't interested in that. "Room of reflections..." he mused, stroking his chin. "That, plus disappearances, plus secret kidnappers... the plot thickens. Catrin Jones, I'll keep my eyes open to see if anything comes up. I'm not having some idiot trying to bring back Voldemort."

* * *

><p>"Sit down, sit down."<p>

Professor Dawlish gestured impatiently at the class. There was the usual scraping and clunking as people put inkpots, books and quills down in front of them. They were in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, a handsome stone room with interesting artifacts- a skull, a pixie skeleton, and, oddly, a framed picture of a smiling, blond wizard who was pointing at himself and grinning. Catrin was sitting near the back, with her friends, and chewing absent-mindedly on the end of her quill. She was still feeling stiff from earlier events, but that was nothing compared to now...butterflies were doing the rounds in her stomach; today was the day that she got her essay back. Make or break...it wasn't just the humiliating prospect of handwriting lessons. She _liked _DADA- this was one lesson that she didn't want to screw up completely.

"Here-" Dawlish waved his wand and the pile of scrolls on his desk zoomed back to their various owners. Hopefully, Catrin risked a peek at top of her essay- and felt her heart zoom to her feet. Written on it was a neat, curlicued 5/20 with a comment _see to your handwriting before attempting this again. _

"What did you get?" Valerie said in Catrin's ear. Catrin jumped and guiltily stashed the scroll in her bag. "Erm...what did _you _get?"

"Sixteen." Came the proud reply. Damn!

"Good for you!" Catrin said with forced cheerfulness, banging Valerie so hard on the back that she choked. She glanced around the wood-panelled room- James and Fred were looking extremely smug, so were many of the Slytherins. Even Michael Thomas had allowed a small smile to cross his lips.

Mary was also looking smug, although, Catrin suspected, for an entirely different reason. Shaking out her dark braids, she leant across to Catrin and whispered "I'll talk to Lupin tonight."

"Attention, class." Dawlish called. "Today we're going to be studying vampires. Now, I know that your mothers might swear by a certain man called 'Lockhart'-" here Dawlish's mouth twisted slightly "-but I might have to inform you that he is still recovering from a backfired Memory Charm placed upon him 25 years ago. So, we'll all be starting anew..."

* * *

><p>"Three, two, one...go!"<p>

Catrin let go of the bushywig bean. It rose into the air, shivered a little- and then took off like a bat out of hell down the length of the table, slamming into Mary. Judging by the sudden bulge of her eyes, Catrin noted, it must have hurt a little.

"Merlin's beard, Cat! I believe Longbottom said 'let go slowly'!" Mary gasped.

"Sorry, sorry." Catrin noted the results of the bean's bid for freedom on the chart beneath her, and then slid the chart over to Mary to copy from.

They were sitting in the library, starting on the reams of homework that the teachers had given them over the half-term to do. Catrin didn't see how she was going to get it all done- much less the defence against the dark arts, unless someone helped her.

"How's the investigation going?" Mary asked, scribbling furiously. "And by the way, I talked to Teddy Lupin, and he said he'd be 'more than happy' to help. He's free Wednesday, so I booked you in for lunchtime."

"Awh." Catrin groaned- she'd half-hoped that Mary had forgotten about their pact. "Why Lupin? And what investigation?"

"Because Lupin gets stellar marks in his lessons, and he's a seventh-year. Less likely to laugh at you." Mary said seriously. "And, anyway, what do you mean 'what investigation'? I thought you wanted to figure out all about Macnair, Death Eaters reborn, all that stuff."

"Oh yeah...well, I haven't exactly had time. I was hoping to talk to Michael Thomas, see what he knows."

"Be careful..." Mary raised worried brown eyes from the parchment to Catrin. "His mothers' just vanished, it's almost like You-Know-Who's back. Though that's not true." She shuddered. "Go easy, yeah?"

"Yeah...look! There he comes now!"

Indeed, Michael Thomas had just walked into the library –and, Catrin noted thankfully- alone.

"Be back in a min."

She leapt up, not wanting to startle him- or bring the wrath of the ancient, wrinkled librarian Madam Pince down on her head. Quietly, she tiptoed over to where he'd disappeared, and found him between two shelves, staring blankly at the bookcase in front of him.

Hesitantly, she cleared her throat. "Umm...Michael?"

He jumped violently, almost upsetting a large stack of books next to him. Together, he and Catrin raced to steady the pile before it toppled down on them, and, afterwards, turned to face her, wide eyes puffy and sleepless.

"What d'you want?" He asked bluntly.

Catrin stared at the Ravenclaw crest on his robes, wishing she could make this easier.

"To...talk to you. About your mother's disappearance. If that's...I mean, if you don't mind..."

"What?" This didn't seem to register in his mind for a while. When it did, about ten seconds later, his eyes darkened. "No. No way!"

"Please...I only want to figure out what's going on! Creepy things have been happening. I could...talk to Harry Potter, see if he could help."

"Why don't you go and do that."

Catrin tried again. "Only with your information. What you say could help save her life!"

"Why don't you talk to my father?" Michael's voice twisted. "He can tell you everything. Leave me alone! Don't you think people haven't asked me about this?" His voice was rising steadily; Catrin glanced over her shoulder for fear of being caught by Pince.

Right, tough tactics were needed.

She leant forward, voice low and fierce. "God help me, Michael Thomas, I've been in your position myself, and my mother ended up dead. It's hard, I know it's hard, but don't you think any information, given to anyone, increases the chance that she could be saved?"

For a minute she thought Michael was going to scream at her, and felt a stab of guilt for her words. She hadn't meant them to be so hard-hitting...

But then he deflated, and sat down abruptly, as though his knees were giving way. Perhaps they had.

Catrin sat down next to him, as carefully as if there was someone sleeping and she didn't want to wake them, and stared at the books in front of her, counting the embossed spines. He wouldn't talk to her if she were staring at him like he was in a freak show.

"I got a letter from her, the day she...disappeared." Michael started talking suddenly, head resting on his hands. Catrin sat very still, trying not to disturb him.

"She said that I had to be careful, there was something happening in Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. She...she said she'd heard rumours, of old Death Eaters, that they wanted to get something important- she didn't say what, just that it was important, and that it was essential that they were stopped. She said..." The boy's voice broke momentarily, and he squeezed his eyelids tight, holding back his grief.

"She said I had to leave Hogwarts. But the very next day...she disappeared."

"I'm sorry." Catrin said as gently as she could. "It'll get easier..."

"I don't want it to get easier! My mother...she's gone! You're making it sound like she's gone forever! Go...go away!" Michael had shot to his feet, hysterical, tears running down his face and mixing with the snot from his nose.

Catrin stood up too, and quickly. It was no point talking to him further like this; he wouldn't even listen to comfort at this point. She spared him one last look, then beat a hasty retreat before Madam Pomfrey came and chucked her out.

"Any luck? Not much, judging by the sound." Mary grimaced sympathetically as she slid into her seat opposite. Catrin didn't reply: what with reflecting rooms, missing mothers and creepy Slytherins, she felt that she had a lot more on her hands than she'd bargained for.


	8. Chapter 7: Spellwork Troubles

What with the killer amount of homework the first years had been given, Catrin hardly had any free time over the half-term, and the increasing stress was not helping her spells, which were already shoddy. She just couldn't get the hang of Defence Against the Dark Arts! Spells which sounded fine in her head came out jumbled or backfired- often with nasty results: both on her and the surroundings. The Gryffindor Common Room had become too dangerous, what with all the books and tapestries around, so Catrin had taken to practising in unused classrooms.

It was just on one such evening that it happened: Catrin had been attempting stunning spells, and getting nowhere apart from increasingly more frustrated.

"Stupefy..._stupefy_!" She cried, her hair plastered to her scalp with the effort. Despite her efforts, the desk on which she had been practising only smouldered slightly. "_Aaargh_!"

"Oh dear- problems?" Came a sympathetic voice from behind her. Cheeks aflame, Catrin spun around to see Professor Longbottom looking kindly at her.

"Aaah...yeah." She admitted shamefacedly, slumping against a desk. "It's just...my wandwork isn't all that great. I can't seem to get the hang of spells!" Her anger had subsided all of a sudden, leaving something a bit like panic in its place. Her voice cracked a little. "I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong!"  
>"Do you want my opinion? You're not." Longbottom came up and leaned against the desk in front of her. "You'll be fine. Do you know how long my teachers shouted at me for not being able to do anything? I transplanted my ears onto a cactus once..." He sighed. "Embarrassing? Just a little, and that was in front of Minerva McGonagall as well. At least my daughter hasn't inherited my talent- or lack of it."<p>

"In front of the _Headmistress_?" Despite herself, Catrin was distracted. "Did she teach, then?"

"Yeah, Transfiguration. She might still take a couple of NEWT classes, I'm not sure." The teacher sighed, and shifted a little. "The point I'm making is, don't worry. It'll be fine. I can cast with the best of them now- well, maybe not the best..." he chuckled . "But I did behead a snake once."

"I heard about that. It's true?"

"True as anything can be. Anyway, I heard that James Potter and Fred Weasley are good at defensive spellwork. Real double act, those two." He laughed briefly, as if reminded of something. "Why not ask them for help?"

"Oh... I hadn't thought of that." That wasn't exactly true- it had crossed Catrin's mind once or twice, but James seemed extremely unwilling to pass on his magical knowledge, or, as he so thoughtfully put it, 'trade secrets'.

"Well, at least I won't be in the action." Catrin was surprised to hear a note of disappointment ring in her voice. Had she always been like that?

She swallowed past the lump in her throat and looked up, to see Longbottom scrutinizing her thoughtfully. "You remind me of someone." He said thoughtfully. "Who are your parents?"

"My...my mother was Gwendolyn Jones. I never knew my father."

"Ah. Not who I was thinking of." He gave her a brief- relieved?-smile, and stood up. "Think about asking Potter and Weasley for defence help. Maybe you have something to trade for lessons? You're not stupid or lazy, Miss Jones, you can see that from the work that you put in."

"Maybe." Catrin grinned at him, and a shadow crossed his face. The professor turned to leave.

"By the way." He called on the way out. "There's a Teddy Lupin looking for you. I think he's in the Great Hall."

Woah, Catrin thought. Mary moved quickly.

But then again, she thought, as she raced down to the Ground Floor, it was a good way of ending a conversation that she really didn't want to have, and especially not with a teacher. Although the Potter/Weasley lesson trade was something to consider...what could she do that they couldn't?  
>She would have to consider it if she wanted to fight properly.<p>

She stopped for a minute on the Fourth Floor landing by a huge engraving, stretching the entire length of the corridor. Fascinated in spite of herself, Catrin glanced at the carved stone in front of her. This, unlike the rest of the ancient castle, seemed newer than anything else. What was it?

Her question was answered on the first carved line.

_On this spot on the 2__nd__ May 1998, the first spell of the Battle of Hogwarts was fired. _

_It was because of this battle that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was struck down by Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived._

_May those that lost their lives in order that we may stay free not be forgotten. _

There then followed a long list of names. Catrin read through a couple of lines, stunned. _Colin Creevey...Fred Weasley...Sirius Black..._ Each name stood out. She felt...humbled, reading this. There was so much Wizarding history that she didn't understand- wasn't sure she wanted to understand.

This He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named- she guessed he was Voldemort. The person responsible for all of these deaths? She was glad that she hadn't been born 20 years earlier. All the same...she felt she owed it to these people to find out.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, she arrived in the Great Hall, hot and thoroughly out of breath. Teddy was sitting at the end of the table, bag up in front of him. Mercifully, the Great Hall was empty, as it wasn't dinner for another hour.<p>

He glanced up, eyes like grey orbs underneath the shock of blue hair. "Catrin Jones! I wasn't sure when you were coming."

"Professor Longbottom caught me." She said, trying to stop panting, and swinging herself onto the seat in front. She eyed the parchment in front with a look of extreme dislike. "Shall we get this over with?"

He laughed. "Not too keen on this, then?"

"Mary talked me into it. I wish she'd talked me out of it too." Then she relented. "But if it means people will be able to read my handwriting, maybe it's not such a bad idea."

"Alright then. I've got some parchment but if you like there's also some paper and a ballpoint. Now, I think we'll start with writing with quills- they're tricky things to work with..."

To Catrin's surprise, the lesson passed quickly. Teddy was an excellent teacher: never endingly patient and always willing to correct her before moving on. Much to her surprise-and delight- Catrin made good progress, and by the time people were filtering into the Great Hall he pronounced her writing 'readable'.

"Well, that's something." Catrin sighed. "If someone rushes me I'll be able to scribble all over him."

Teddy scrutinised her for a moment. "Having problems?"

Catrin hesitated for a moment, and decided to avoid the issue. "Were you alive during the battle of Hogwarts?"

His grey eyes clouded over, and for a horrible moment she thought she'd offended him somehow. A full thirty seconds passed, and then he spoke. "Yes. Just about."

He was quiet for a moment, as though making up his mind, and said suddenly "My parents died in it."

"_Both?" _Catrin was staggered. "I'm-"

But Teddy had held up his hand. "Don't say it." He smiled. "I can't even remember them- I was only a couple of days old."

"Oh." There was silence for a moment, and then she asked "Wha...who looked after you?"

Who had looked after Teddy when his parents died, who hadn't looked after her when hers had?

"My grandmother. But I spend a lot of time with the Potters and Weasleys." He smiled briefly. "My dad was Harry's friend- and Harry's dad's too, I think."

"Who was your dad?"

"Remus Lupin. Went to school with James Potter- James' granddad. Apparently he was in a group with him- including Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. He was the only sensible one."

"He passed that on, then."

"I-" Teddy looked up, startled. "Me, _sensible_?"

"You're Head Boy." She pointed out. "Your parents sound like nice people."

"They were- or so everyone tells me. I don't- sorry, but it sounds like something similar happened to you."

Catrin pressed her lips together. That was annoying- Teddy Lupin was more perceptive than she'd given him credit for. She couldn't exactly lie- but she hated telling anyone about her past. Somehow, though, she didn't think pity would be a problem when it came to Teddy Lupin.

"Yes." She admitted finally. "My mother- Gwendolyn Jones- she looked after me until I was nine. I never knew my dad- I can remember her saying he was a lovely man, but they couldn't meet often. When... when she died, I didn't want to go and live in an _orphanage. _I waited for my mother's family to come and get me...but they- they never did. In the end, I scarpered before the social services came. I spent two years living rough. I hated every minute of it."

Something wet plopped onto the table in front of her. With horror, Catrin realised she was _crying. _Angrily, she dashed her tears away. She wanted to finish this. "The Sorting Hat said that my father had studied here. Professor Longbottom said I reminded him of someone. It's like...he's _here_, just out of reach, and _I can't find him_! I don't even know if he's alive! If he is, why hasn't he contacted me?"

Teddy was silent for a long time after her outburst, and when Catrin dared to peek up through her wet eyelashes at him, she found that he wasn't averting his eyes in pity, but instead looking at her with empathy. With a slight shock, she saw that he was smiling slightly.

"I feel like that too sometimes." He said bluntly, leaning forward over the table confidentially. "But you've got to remember that you have friends, Catrin. They'll help you through the bad times and help you to enjoy the good times. I have wonderful friends- they're almost like family: James, Fred, Louis, Hugo...Victoire." He turned slightly red at that, and despite herself, Catrin smirked.

"Just...don't lose hope." Teddy smiled.

She hadn't realised he would make such a good therapist.

"Don't lose hope? Is her handwriting that bad?" Catrin jumped and turned to see the blond head of Louis Weasley grinning at them both. "Hi, Catrin."  
>"Er...hi." She replied, slightly puzzled by his friendliness.<p>

"Right, this time next week, Catrin. Remember what I said." Teddy didn't seem at all fazed. "And hopefully the teachers will be able to read your essays by then."

"I'll cross my fingers." She replied, as Louis sat down next to Teddy. All of a sudden, dishes materialised on the table in front of them, laden with food.

"Right on time." Said Louis appreciatively, grabbing the nearest tureen of soup. "You eating with us?"  
>"Yeah...that'd be good." A warm glow seemed to be bubbling up inside her after Teddy's speech, and she cautiously identified it as happiness. She had friends in the Weasleys and Potters, it seemed: everything was going to be fine.<p>

All that was left for her to do was homework, discovering who her father was and why people were vanishing.


	9. Chapter 8: Pranking and Potions

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews: much appreciated! Here's the next instalment- hope you like it!**

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><p>"So let me get this straight, Cat." Mary stated, flicking back her braids as she did so. "You want to ask <em>James Potter and Fred Weasley <em>for spell lessons, _not _Alice, who is your friend and also, not a bigheaded prat."

Lessons started tomorrow, and the three friends were soaking up as much free time as possible. The common room was packed with cheerful Gryffindors; most of whom were up to no good. From here alone, Catrin spotted a plate of strategically placed Custard Creams, several Dungbombs put in prime seating spots, and, in every nook and cranny, fake wands. She suspected that Fred and James had planted most of them.

"That's about right." Catrin leaned back lazily in her chair, letting chunks of hair obscure her vision of the scarlet ceiling above her. A snitch flickered past her vision as she stared, determinedly not looking at her friends.

"Why don't you want lessons from Mary?" Asked Valerie. From the little-girl impression, Catrin deduced she was staring wide-eyed at her friend, and felt a smile bubble up inside her at the pathetic tone of voice. "I could never go up to those two. I might come back with bright pink hair or something!"  
>"They're not <em>that <em>bad." Mary admonished her. "Just...over-confident."

"Arrogant, you mean." Catrin flipped upright in her chair and together the three girls watched the fireside where James and Fred had set up shop, accompanied by another boy with blond, curly hair. There was definitely something secretive in their manner...

"Right. I'm going to ask them." She stood up and, ignoring the giggle from Mary, marched over to where the boys were seated before she could lose her nerve.

"They're in my year. And they've already proven they're good at spells. I don't think Alice would teach me as well as them." Catrin answered simply, watching three heads bent together in what looked like prayer, but was probably something a lot less holy.

"Right. Here goes." And before she could lose her nerve, Catrin stood up and marched over to the fireside, ignoring Mary's less-than-helpful snort of laughter.

The boys looked up as they saw her coming, but it was too late to back out now- Catrin unceremoniously plonked herself down in the squishy armchair next to them, uncomfortably close to some kissing fifth-years.

James smirked at her, running a hand through his ink-black hair. "So Jones, crossed over to the dark side? Good, we need someone with enough fighting skills to beat off the teachers when they try and put us in detention."  
>Next to him, the blond boy let out an idiotic guffaw. Catrin glared at him. He sneered back.<p>

"Not on your life, Potter." She shot back, resting her elbows on her knees. "I wanted to ask you and Weasley a favour."

"A favour? Well, doth the haughty maiden needeth help?" Fred had shot to his feet to make an elaborate bow. "I am yours to command, fair damsel."

"Well, sit down and shut up."

Fred put his hand to his forehead and swooned. "Oh, I am injured! Prithee, say no more! I must go and fight a dragon to restore my self-confidence!"

"Hah! Good one, Fred!" The blond guy- Catrin decided to call him Slimy Creep- snorted again.

Beside them, the kissing couple broke apart to stare at them. Catrin felt a blush start to flame on her cheeks and leaned forward furiously, ignoring Slimy Creep's titters.

"I _wanted," she_ said angrily, "to ask for defence lessons. You know, defensive spell-casting."

That shut the slimeball up. He stared at Catrin as though she had volunteered to fly naked around Hogwarts screaming that she loved bogey-flavoured Bertie Bott's beans.

"Woah." Fred said, dropping down into his seat. "You feeling alright? Leave the fighting to us; we know what we're doing."  
>"I want to fight!" Catrin said indignantly. "I can teach you something in return, you know."<p>

"What, how to karate-kick like a crazed Chimera? We _already _know how to defend ourselves, dimwit." James smiled lazily, and leaned backwards in his seat. "You need something better than that."  
>Catrin glanced around at the two fifth-years: who were pretending to do something else whilst really listening avidly to every word spoken. Her mind was working overtime, churning out ideas. What would force them to do what she wanted? In front of her, James gave a smirk and turned back to the others.<br>"A prank competition." She blurted out, before her brain could comprehend what she was saying. "We each perform a prank, and we see whose is best."  
><em>That <em>caught their attention. She thought, watching all three boys turn to her with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. She grinned, riding a sudden high. "Or are you too chicken?"  
>"Are you kidding? The question is, are <em>you<em>?" Fred had sat up suddenly, eyes round with anticipation.

"That's settled, then." Catrin leaned back in her seat as well, enjoying the expressions on their faces. "Okay: the aim is to pull off the perfect prank _without_ getting caught, and possibly _with _putting the other party into detention."

"Oh boy!" Slimy Creep almost shouted, but he was easy to brush off. James, meanwhile, was looking as though Christmas had come early.

"You're on." He said gleefully. "You are so going down, Jones."  
>"Not as much as you, Potter." She shot back. "If I win, you have to give me lessons. <em>And <em>dye your hair pink for the day."

"Deal." Fred interjected. His smile suddenly became a _lot _more evil. "And if _we _win, you have to cover yourselves with owl droppings and walk straight into McGonagall's office. And ask whether she realised that she was driving her students insane."  
>"Oh god." Catrin exclaimed. The stakes had suddenly got an awful lot higher.<p>

"You scared?" Taunted James, narrowing his eyes. "I can think of an excellent forfeit..."

"No! You're on. Let the pranking of all pranking begin."

James stuck out his hand; she shook.

"Indeed."

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><p>"You asked us to do <em>what<em>?"

"Don't be upset!" Pleaded Catrin, willing Mary to understand. "It'll be fun! And you can pay the boys back for...anything they've ever done! Come on, Mare! You know you want to..."

"Argh!" Mary threw her hands up in the air. "It's irresponsible, it's stupid, it's rash...it sounds great. When can we start?"

"ASAP, I guess. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist! But now we need to think of a prank- a really really good one..."  
>"I won't be doing the forfeit, you will. Now we have to convince Alice and Valerie. Hmm, I'm not- hey!"<br>Mary jumped in surprise as Catrin dragged her into the nearest alcove, behind a suit of armour. "What are you-"

"Shh!" Catrin hissed, clamping a hand over her friend's mouth. "Look!"  
>Ahead of them, two figures could be seen, wearing the distinctive green robes of Slytherin. As Catrin watched, they strutted towards her, one of them drawing a bottle out of his pocket. She stiffened, recognising the bulky form of McLaggen next to the slighter one of Scorpius Malfoy. What were they doing?<p>

Her question was soon answered, in a confusing sort of way: McLaggen proceeded to sprinkle whatever was in the bottle in a circle on the ground. Once, he almost dropped it, and was berated by Malfoy.  
>"Idiot! Be careful! Too much of that and they'll never find us again!"<br>"Sorry." Muttered McLaggen, having finished the circle. "There, try that."

"Fine, fine- you sure that they won't be able to see us?"

"Yep. Come on!"  
>Before Catrin and Mary's astounded eyes, Malfoy stepped into the circle: and vanished from sight!<p>

Catrin felt Mary's intake of breath against her palm and knew that she was just as shocked as her- and Mary had a lifetime's worth of magical experience.

McLaggen prodded at the edges of the circle and cast a couple of silent spells, before announcing "Yeah, it works fine. You can come out now."

And then Malfoy simply stepped out of thin air, giving a triumphant whoop.

"Yeah!"  
>"Ha, we did it! Wait till the others hear about this!" McLaggen punched his associate on the shoulder, and together the two boys bounded down the corridor, looking like a pair of over-eager rabbits in their haste to get to the Slytherin Common Room.<p>

Catrin waited until she was quite sure that they wouldn't come back, then sprinted to the place where they had been, leaving Mary to overbalance and crash into the suit of armour behind her. Once the clanging had stopped, Mary staggered over, hair sticking out in all directions.

"Ugh...what just happened?"

"I don't know..." Catrin looked at the drops scattered on the floor. It looked suspiciously like water...but by now, she knew better.

"Mare, watch me." She called, and stepped into the circle.

It was as though someone had laid a sheet of glass between her and everything. Mary's face appeared blurred, her voice appeared distant and tinny, but when Catrin reached forwards, her arm passed easily through the barrier.

Mary's mouth, she could just about make out, was wide open.

"Wow." She said, watching as first Catrin's hand, then arm, and then the rest of her body appeared. "I wonder..."

"I know what you're thinking." Catrin said, getting to her knees and scrutinising the drops. "You're thinking, why do they need something so advanced?"

"No, actually." Said Mary patiently. "I was wondering whether it could be bottled again. I think we have our Master Prank!"

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><p>The next day came in a haze of mist and drizzle which soaked through the thick stone walls of the castle and left everyone's spirits dampened by the relentless fog. Despite this, though, the first-year girls of Gryffindor were suspiciously cheerful.<p>

"Ready?" Asked Catrin to the others, attempting to wrestle her hair into some manageable shape in the mirror.

Mary nodded enthusiastically, Alice and Valerie less so. Val had actually turned a rather interesting shade of lime, and Alice was studiously scouring her teeth with the air of someone who was trying not to think about what she was actually doing.

"Come on, Cat, what're you-Merlin's beard!" Alice had popped her head around the entrance to the dormitory bathroom, and her jaw dropped at the sight of Catrin's spectacular bed head. "I'd like to know who your parents were, Cat- they must have had afros or something!"  
>"I'd like to know too." Catrin muttered, giving up and splashing liberal amounts of Mary's Doctor Slinkard's potion onto her head, watching the mess untangle before her eyes. She scrutinised her reflection. Who had given her those grey eyes, that black hair? It was a mystery she intended to solve.<p>

The girls practically sprinted down to breakfast, sitting themselves purposely next to Fred, James and the Slimy Creep. Catrin bit back a sigh of impatience at the fact that she was expected to sit next to him, and started wolfing down her porridge with gusto.

"So, girlies." Slimy Creep oozed at them. "You ready to be beaten?"

"Duh." Mary flashed back, causing him to smile sweetly.

"You don't stand a chance, but it sounds as if you want to beat us."  
>"With clubs rather than in a competition." Catrin muttered to Alice, who giggled reluctantly.<p>

"Yep, you two are totally doomed." Fred said cheerfully over a gigantic breakfast of sausages, a view that was enthusiastically confirmed by James' bacon-filled mumblings. "Just you wait till-"

Just then, Alice let out a spectacular groan, and heaved over her bowl of cereal. Her face was still as green as it had been in the Common Room, and now it seemed as though there was something actually wrong with her.

"Merlin's underpants! Is she alright?" Gasped Mary from across the table. "You'd better take her up to the hospital wing."

"No, I'm fine-" Alice's reassurances were broken off by another whimper. Gasping slightly, she nodded.

"Can you two tell Professor Patil that we'll be late?"

"Sure thing." Mary nodded, and allowed Catrin to escort Alice out of the hall. Five pairs of eyes watched them go, two of them anxiously, three of them gleefully.

Once outside, Alice straightened up and wiped the green eye shadow from her face. "Did I do alright?"

"You did great!" Catrin assured her, taking the bottle of mysterious potion out of her pocket- which had taken a lot of siphoning off the floor. Last night they'd tested it on a school barn-owl, with the result that it disappeared, before popping into existence above a very surprised Victoire, who'd asked what they were doing, and had been only too happy (after some persuasion) to lend them her makeup.

"Right, let's go!" Catrin took a swig from the tiny bottle, and then handed it to Alice, watching fascinated as her friend slowly faded out of existence.

The only thing left was the bottle, which wiggled around in mid-air before slipping into an invisible pocket.

The prank was on!


	10. Chapter 9: Jokes and Revelations

**Hey guys! Thanks for the really nice reviews! They always make me feel really happy :)  
><strong>

**Here's another chapter for you...!**

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><p>James Potter was feeling pretty pleased with himself. He was top of the class in Defence Against the Dark Arts, he had an awesome prank to play on those annoying girls, and to cap it off, it was Christmas soon and he'd be going home for the holidays. Though, hopefully, his dad would be coming to give a lecture to a couple of fifth-years in a couple of days and he'd be able to see him then.<p>

The fact that Alice Longbottom had gone to the Hospital Wing was slightly worrying- he'd never seen a person go that shade of green before. He supposed, though, that she was in good hands with Catrin Jones.

_Catrin Jones..._in all truth, James didn't know what to make of her, but he would never admit something like that to anyone, not even Fred. She and her funny accent had swanned into Hogwarts completely unprepared and had somehow managed to keep up with all the others- even him! Which was why he didn't want her getting better at Defence, and why he had to win this competition. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of losing. He strongly suspected that behind those quiet grey eyes lay a determination as fierce as his, and a personality which was completely different from the quiet one that she usually exhibited. He just had to pay a visit to Hagrid...

James stretched out lazily on his chair- placed at a respectably cool distance from the front- and grinned at Fred, who returned his smile. Fred- his partner in crime- was much better than that annoying Umbridge, but he didn't want to tell Fred that, as he seemed to have taken a liking to him. He stared past Dawlish's head, into the cloudless afternoon sky. Defence Against the Dark Arts was all very well, but when confronted with perfect flying weather...

That was when his pencil-case moved.

James' attention snapped to it as it slowly pushed itself along the desk, and then stopped, looking deceptively innocent.

He glanced at Fred. _Did you see that?_

But his friend merely shook his head and frowned in confusion.

James ran his hand through his hair and then decided to ignore it. It was a figment of his imagination. Everything was- _was something breathing in his ear?_

Panicked, he swatted his hand out to the side, but his flailing hand encountered nothing, and he overbalanced, crashing onto the hard oak planks of the floor.

"I was hoping that my lessons were interesting enough that you _wouldn't _fall asleep during class, Mr Potter." Dawlish's icy voice cut through the classroom like a whip, hushing the giggles of the students as they waited to find out his punishment.

"No, sir. I just...I just leant down to pick up my quill and overbalanced." James widened his eyes with angelic virtuousness, perfected during his fights with Albus and Lily. This was a failsafe ploy- most of the time, anyway. "I wasn't asleep; your lesson was fascinating."

"Oh really- what was I just talking about?" Dawlish leaned back in his chair and raised one eyebrow dryly.

Help! James glanced at Fred, who covertly mouthed _vampires. _

"Vampires, sir."

"Hmm." Dawlish grunted. He paused- "Very well. Carry on taking notes: I'll see them at the end of the lesson."

"Of course." James grinned- and then grimaced at the auror's back as he turned to chalk up a few more sentences. Idiot. Dad had never liked him anyway.

"_What was that?" _ Fred mouthed at James, who shook his head and reached for his ink-pot- to find it wasn't there. This was getting ridiculous! He searched his pencil-case, and then, with a dawning horror, he realised that the wetness underneath him definitely _wasn't _due to him having bladder trouble.

Sure enough, when he reached underneath his robes, the fingers that came up were ink-stained.

And then he realised that his quill was scratching his head for him.

"The joke's _over, _Fred!" He hissed, but his friend merely looked at him, wide-eyed. and quite possibly innocent.

In dawning disbelief, James watched as his pencil-case slowly turned violet, his quill began undulating on the spot, and the liquid underneath him turned out to be the Colour Changing Ink which was supposed to be securely locked upstairs in his trunk.

"Right." James reached for his wand, furious- and then dropped it with a muffled yelp as it morphed into a haddock in front of his eyes.

Fred seemed to be having similar problems: _his _writing implements were performing a spontaneous conga right in front of his horrified eyes.

The boys were starting to attract attention: muffled titters were spreading through the classroom as the other students started to notice his predicament. With a creeping suspicion, he looked around to the top row of seats, where Mary and that Muggle-born- Victoria? Valerie- were giggling with the best of them.

It was Catrin! She'd come back from depositing Alice and was somehow causing mayhem! James seethed even as his ears turned scarlet with fury and embarrassment. This was the stupid prank! He'd have to get her back three times as worse!

But then-

"Sorry I'm late, sir: I had to take Alice Longbottom to the Hospital Wing."

He and Fred goggled at each other, twisting round to see that Catrin Jones had come through the door, dark hair hiding her face.

"Indeed?" Dawlish drawled at her. "And what was the problem, Miss Jones?"

"She was an interesting shade of green." Catrin commented lightly, slipping into her seat next to Mary. "But Madam Pomfrey says she'll be alright soon."

"Excellent. Well, I hope your friends have been taking notes; otherwise you'll have missed out on Vampire Identification and Repulsion techniques. Don't worry, you'll still have homework..."

As the professor droned on, James turned to Fred, who was trying to subdue his dancing pencil with difficulty.

"_If it's not those girls..."_he hissed.

Fred completed his question, looking equally baffled, or as baffled as one can be whilst trying to sit on a writing implement. "_Then who is it?"_

"Ah, boys! It seems that you can't sit still during my lessons! Well, I'll obviously have to train you. Detention Saturday night, seven o'clock, my office."

"But sir-!" Protested James, feeling a dead weight sink to his stomach. That was the first first-year detention, probably! His mum- and Fred's- would kill them! "It was because of-"

"Because of _what,_ exactly?"

James swallowed, and cast a sideways glance at his friend. It was obvious to anyone that their story wouldn't stand up under anyone's scrutiny.

"Nothing, sir." He felt a great wave of hatred towards Dawlish- it was surprising that the auror couldn't feel it.

"Nothing at all." Fred muttered.

Beside them, his quill drooped as if in shame.

Catrin had only been able to take part in half of the trick, but once Alice had started, she felt that her friend had the situation firmly under control.

Once disappearing from sight, the friends had taken it upon themselves to make Fred and James' lesson as uncomfortable as possible- and judging by their furious expressions, they had succeeded by quite a bit. All they had to do was cast a couple of charms, move a couple of items and, once the liquid had worn off, slip out of the door and back into the classroom, pretending that nothing had happened. Simple!

"Next time, I'm going to be the invisible one." Muttered Mary as she watched Fred battling his books back into his bag.

"Sure. Success, though, eh?" Catrin grinned, as the bell went.

With a great creaking of chairs, the class began to clump away, James with a colour changing blob on the back of his robes. The girls made to follow but-

"Miss Jones! One word, if you please!"

Busted! Eyes wide, Catrin glanced at Mary and Valerie, both of whom shared the same dumbstruck expressions. She was in for a rough ride now: that was for sure.

Biting her lip, Catrin made her way to the front of the class where Dawlish was stacking away textbooks. She didn't dare look at him; instead she stared at the blackboard, which was magically wiping itself clean.

"Miss Jones, here is your essay."  
>Surprised, Catrin looked down as a scroll waved itself in front of her nose. She looked up to see the scarred face of the auror smiling at her.<p>

"A very impressive improvement, Miss Jones. Nearly full marks, so I see that you've managed to sort out your handwriting."

"Y-yes sir." She stammered.

"I trust that your work will only continue to improve."  
>"It'll try, sir. I mean..yes, professor." And then, before she could stop herself- "When is Harry Potter coming to Hogwarts? Could he give <em>us <em>a talk?" This was immediatley followed by a sudden rememberance of his face on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, but she dismissed it. She hadn't met him, so he wouldn't exactly have a grudge against her.

"Hmm...keen, aren't you? Alright, I'll talk to him and see if he can spare any time. The younger Potter will be thrilled, I'm sure."

Catrin hid her smile of triumph from Professor Dawlish, and said goodbye. On her way out, he called after her.

"Dark things are stirring again, Miss Jones. I would listen closely to Harry Potter's speech if I were you."

"Yes sir." And then- "Wierd." She muttered to herself, leaving him and his brooding behind.

Mary pounced on her as soon as she'd exited the classroom. "Oh, are you okay? Merlin's beard, that guy has such a hairy heart! What was the punishment?"

"It wasn't a punishment." Catrin replied. "He gave me my essay back –which was wonderful, by the way- and then told me to watch my back. Strange, huh?"

"Good, you mean. So our little plot actually worked!" Whooped Mary triumphantly, punching the air with one fist. "When's Alice re-appearing?"

"She took more potion than me; it should be around half-an-hour." Catrin replied absently. "I think that she's going to slip off to the Hospital Wing and pretend to be sick, to get us an alibi." She slipped her essay into her bag. "I wonder why the Slytherins need that potion?" _And why people keep disappearing, _she added silently.

"Who cares? It worked!" Mary hollered, slinging an arm around Valerie's shoulder in celebration. "Come on, Catrin, crack a smile!"

Catrin tried, but for some reason her heart wasn't in it. The Slytherin thing was bothering her.

_I'll figure it out as soon as I can. _She promised herself.

That night, Catrin went to the library and searched the archives by lamplight for any mention of Lavender Thomas or Maria Creevey. The only thing that she thought could possibly link them was that they had both been in the famous Battle of Hogwarts. Lavender was older than Maria, as well as Muggle-born, and from what she could gather, had been high up in the ministry. Meanwhile, Maria was a housewife and a half-blood. They had also both been in Gryffindor...

So it had to be to do with the notorious Lord Voldemort- only Voldemort supporters would have a grudge against the survivors of the Battle of Hogwarts. But why? She had thought that his forces were scattered, and all the better for that.

She turned to the next newspaper, proclaiming: _Marianne_ _Smith gets prime job as Chief Unspeakable! _and gave it up as a bad she needed was to find out the contents and purpose of that potion, and how it was used...if only there could be another disappearance, in Hogwarts.

Catrin sighed, sweeping her hair back and glancing out of the large window at the end of her row into the navy-blue sky outside. The library would be closing in an hour and first-years were supposed to be in the Common Room by seven. She started to pack the Daily Prophets back into their boxes, yawning as she did so, and rubbing her eyes against the soft yellow light.

That was when another headline caught her eye: _Exclusive Interview wi__th the Squad Who Saved Potter! Hestia Jones, Daedalus Diggle and more! _

Hestia Jones...Catrin was sure she'd heard the name somewhere. For a few seconds she racked her brains, and then it came to her: Gwedolen, her mother, had often talked about a Hestia Jones to Catrin. Was she a relation? If so, why hadn't her mother told her daughter about her, seeing as they had been that close? And why wouldn't she have also discussed her possibly magical family? Catrin was doubtful that her mother had gone to Hogwarts; the Sorting Hat had been rather specific about her father.

So if Hestia Jones _was _related: this was a pretty big _was_, but Catrin was willing to take that chance- if she was related, maybe she knew who Catrin's father had been! Prior to this anti-revelation, the only thing she could've done to get details was to go up to the Headmistress' Office and give the Hat a good shake...or talk to Harry Potter, whose shocked face she still remembered. Maybe she still would...

Excited, she scrabbled over the pages until she found the article...

And that was when she heard the slight rustling from one aisle over, followed by the slow, careful footsteps of a person who doesn't want to be noticed.

Curiosity aroused, Catrin quickly glanced around for Madam Pince, the hunch-backed librarian who patrolled the library with an eagle's eye for book-related disrespect- and quickly pulled several books out of the shelf in front of her, creating a small window for her to look through, laying them down precisely on either side of the newspaper article. Maybe this person was doing something completely innocent...but why, then, were they patrolling around the entrance to the Restricted Section?

Her hunch paid off: a quick glance revealed the culprit to be a pinch-faced, third-year McLaggen, who was looking furtive and clutching a thick, mildew-spotted tome in his hands. Squinting, she could just about make out the title of the page that he was holding open: _Disguising Charms._

Strange...a part of Catrin suddenly expressed a desire to go out and challenge him. Alarmed, she suppressed it and concentrated on stacking newspapers away. It was nothing to do with her, nothing at all...

Another quick peek showed that he was moving away, but towards a blank wall. Was he trying to examine it or something? A shadow obscured his face, but she thought he was mouthing something. To the wall? Maybe he was insane...that would explain a lot.

Nosy! Her mind screamed at her. Trouble! Bad! Reckless!

She ignored it and tiptoed to the end of the aisle. McLaggen was indeed examining the wall with superfluous interest. She strained to see what was wrong...then he turned, almost giving her a heart attack, and walked back into the depths of the library.

Catrin stumbled back out of sight as he walked past, trusting her small frame to the shadows. She furrowed her brow as he walked past: things were most definitely afoot in Hogwarts.

The book was unquestionably not in his arms.

Well, it seemed that Dawlish had been right about something, Catrin thought as she left the newspapers to the scrutiny of Madam Pince. Trouble was afoot, and she would need some help before the year was out. Family-finding was out of the question.

But she took the clipping of Hestia Jones with her.


	11. Chapter 10: Revelations and Spellcasting

**Hello pobl (people in Welsh, if you're interested :) )! Nice to see you again (figuratively). Next chapter; hope you like it!**

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><p>She had been and touched the wall and seen nothing. It had been solid, as solid as rock should be...but there was something important there that she was missing...and then her father, shadow faced and mysterious was hovering in front of her, trying to tell her the answer, and she had tried to hear him, but hadn't ...managed...to...<p>

"Ah!" Catrin started awake, jolting upwards in her bed. The dull morning light seeped through the curtains of her four poster; it was probably going to be around an half an hour before everyone was up. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep without seeing either a faceless father, Hestia Jones or more hauntingly, her mother's familiar features behind her eyelids. Sleep was well out of her reach: on the contrary, she felt wide awake!

Catrin paused- and then reached over the edge of the bed. Her hand teased open the lid of her trunk and slid inside her trusty rucksack, which, despite everything, she couldn't bring herself to throw away.

Once she had found what she was looking for, Catrin slid a jumper over her pyjamas and left for the Common Room, not wanting to stay in her bed any longer than she absolutely _had _to. That was a trait she _hadn't _shared with her mother: Gwendolyn had always waited until the last possible moment before dragging herself after her active daughter, most likely to stop her before she did something stupid like try and dismantle the television.

The Common Room, thankfully, was deserted, so Catrin headed for the squishy armchairs right next to the smouldering embers in the fire grate. Sitting down heavily, she glanced around once more, then turned her attention to what was in her hand.

It was a handsome wooden box: about half a sheet of paper in size, and ornamented with ornate swirls which undulated like waves across the carved surface. Catrin smiled, memorising the feel of the box under her fingers. Then she flicked the clasp.

There were only a few things inside. A necklace with a pearl strung onto it, which Catrin would never have contemplated pawning; a letter from her mother which she had never opened; a couple of coins; some items which had been Gwendolyn's and a picture of them.

She drew the last one out, slowly, and studied it for several long moments. It was a snap of a grey street with tall houses behind it. In the foreground her mother, happy and carefree, face unlined.

Catrin touched the dancing grey eyes, so like her own, and the straight brown hair, which wasn't. Who had been the photographer? She wondered. She flipped the page over and read the faint graphite indent- Summer 1996. She had been so young...

"Hello?"

If she had been older, Catrin was sure that she would've had a heart attack. As it was, she screamed, and the contents of her box smashed across the floor, scattering their contents everywhere.

"Oh no!" She gasped. "Wait-" And she dived onto the floor, hands frantically scrabbling at the box.

"Let me. _Locomotor objects!_" And the objects flew gracefully into the air, settling themselves into the box as though coming to rest after a long flight.

"Ah- thank you!" Catrin clutched her box to her, and turned around to see who had helped her.

It was Teddy, his own eyes wide underneath his mop of blue hair, which, as she watched, turned rapidly to red and back.

"Are you OK?" he asked gently.

"Yes- you startled me." She bit her lip. "I was just- looking. At my box. I mean- at my photos."

"I do that too." He said lightly, sliding into the armchair closest to the fire. "It helps if you look, I find. Do you want to see my parents?"

Catrin boggled at the unexpected question, but recovered quickly. "Erm- yes. Please."

Teddy withdrew, from a pocket of his robes, a rather crumpled photo, which he handed to Catrin as though made of glass. Carefully, she opened the sheet. Inside were a man and a woman, waving at the camera. The woman's hair was fuchsia, almost, and the man's face was careworn and lined with what she thought were scars. But they were both beaming out of the frame: their happiness was tangible. As she watched, the man waved.

"That's lovely." She handed it back, and then, spurred by an embarrassment- "I guess you want to see my mum." Slowly, she drew the picture of Gwendolyn Jones out of the box again, and handed it to him with the same amount of delicacy.

Teddy smiled at the picture. "She's really pretty: not much like you then." Catrin elbowed him.

And then he frowned. "When was this taken...1996? That's strange..."

"What?" Catrin demanded. "What's strange?"  
>"Well, if the photo was taken in 1996...I mean, she's quite obviously pregnant..."<p>

"Yes." Catrin didn't see where he was coming from.

"Well..." Teddy didn't seem eager to speak. "Well... do you have a sibling? Because you're too young to have been born in 1996- that would make you older than me."

Catrin strongly suspected her jaw had just hit the floor: as it was, she dropped like a stone into the nearest armchair. "What...I have a brother? Or sister?"

"It looks like it...unless your mother was frozen in time, or something like that. Actually, there are spells that can do that, but it can give you cancer..."

Teddy rambled on, but Catrin was lost to that. A sibling! Did she have a sibling? An older one...where were they? Or were they even alive?

"By the way, Harry's coming around to give his talk today, so I won't be able to do writing lessons. Monday afternoon? It was really nice seeing your mother, Catrin." Teddy seemed blithely unaware of the bombshell that he'd just dropped on his student, and handed the precious picture back to her.

"See you soon!"

And he rambled off in that way of his, leaving Catrin to stare stupefied at the fading embers in the grate.

"Cat...come on! What's wrong with you today? If we don't hurry up, we won't get good seats. This is Harry Potter we're speaking about!" Groaned Mary, dragging her reluctant friend along behind her. "_Tell her, _Alice!"  
>"I have seen Harry before; he's not something you stare at in a zoo." Alice retorted, linking arms with Catrin nevertheless in order to pull her forwards. "It's like all the first years have Harry Fever, or something! My dad's famous as well!"<p>

"But is he as famous as the Chosen One? There's a reason he's the Chosen _One_, Alice, not the Chosen Two. Or three. Or four. Or-"

"Alright! I get the idea!"

The tension had been rising steadily amongst the first years ever since Dawlish had announced that Harry Potter would be coming in to give a talk on Defence Against the Dark Arts- in their Transfiguration lesson, though, as that was his only free time. Now, as the first years filed into class, there was a massive shoving for the best vantage point, ending in what could best be defined as a rugby scrum.

Catrin would have appreciated it if it was on a day when she had a clearer head: her thoughts were still fuzzy with her mother's secret life and her possible sibling. Was it a brother, a sister? What exactly had happened to them?

But despite that she still felt a thrill as she sat down in the Transfiguration room next to Mary. If this wasn't interesting- hearing about Dark Arts firsthand from the person who had defeated Voldemort himself!- then nothing would be.

Harry Potter was at the front of the room, his glasses flashing in the morning light and his untidy black hair mirroring precisely that of his sons'. Speaking of which-

"Mornin', Kitty-Cat."

Catrin snapped out of her trance, and twisted round to find Fred Weasley grinning at her. Her first thought was that Fred wanted revenge for their prank before: but then again, how could he possibly know anything?

"Morning, Weasley." She grinned back easily, leaning back with casual guardedness in her chair. "How's life treating you?"

"Not too bad." Fred smiled back, the light from the chandeliers reflecting off his copper-coloured curls. "Although I had a bit of bother last week."  
>"I'm surprised you'll tell anyone about that- wasn't it embarrassing? Was it you whose pencilcase revolted against them?"<p>

"Maaaybe." Fred's smile dropped like a stone off his face. And then- "Hey! How do you know? You weren't in the-"

"Class!"

The whole room fell silent immediately, as everyone held their breaths. "Look, he's a hero!" Mary breathed.

The 'hero' didn't look particularly heroic to Catrin- black hair and piercing green eyes were all very well really. But she thought she could detect the same kind of feeling that Professor Longbottom gave off: a sort of inner strength. She couldn't imagine him not being a Gryffindor.

"Morning class. I'll ask you to call me Harry; I don't like to stand on ceremony." He smiled, and pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I'm going to talk today about defensive techniques and how to avoid being zapped by an enemy- because being a fast runner doesn't always work."

And with that, he launched into an explanation which contained so many different stories of so many different battles that Catrin was mindblown. How had he managed to survive so much unharmed? It was unheard of; it was ridiculous!  
>"So, to finish off, if you're facing an enemy who you know is more powerful; it's no use using force. You have to outwit them. A shield charm will usually suffice but- Yes? Sorry, what's your name?"<p>

For Catrin had risen her hand eagerly. "Miss Jones, sir- Mr Potter- Harry. How do you use a shield charm?"

Fred and James smirked in unison, but her teacher grinned, clearly as enthusiastic as herself. "Ah, now I'm glad you asked me that. What you have to do is-"

Just then- of all the bad luck! - The bell rang. Harry looked around, startled and ran his fingers through his hair in a gesture habitual of James. "Er- if you have any questions, come and see me! If you still want to find out about Protego, Miss Jones, wait up!"

Catrin had every intention of 'waiting up'. Whilst Mary and the others filed out- Mary dismissing fighting as 'boy's work', and Valerie following faithfully at her heels, Catrin, Alice, Fred and James stayed behind.

James ran right up to his father, and immediately started chattering to him as though there was no tomorrow. Alice and Fred shared amused glances, whilst Catrin sat on the front desk and waited.

Finally Harry turned his attention to her. "Miss Jones. You wanted to learn about _Protego_?"

"Yes, sir. Harry."

He grinned at her. "Well, it's a powerful charm that prevents an enemy spell from reaching you, by reflecting it back on them. You've got to concentrate extremely hard it, though: a well-placed jinx will shatter it otherwise."

"Can you show me?" James, next to Harry, laughed. It was remarkable how much alike the two were: excepting James' brown eyes and glasses, the two were mirror images of each other.

James' father raised his wand, and all the desks flew to the sides of the room, causing Catrin to leap off hastily.

"You might as well all learn. Get your wands out, everyone; that means you too, James! Right. Everybody say 'Protego'!"

"_Protego!_" The four chorused faithfully- James with an air of boredom and Fred and Alice looking eager.

From the tip of Harry's wand an iridescent half-bubble blossomed, partially obscuring his body. The other three produced little puffs of smoke. Catrin: nothing.

Frustrated, she shook her wand, causing red sparks to shoot out of the end. This was stupid! It was like her mind had a block on magic. "_Duw!" _She muttered under her breath. "_Gweithiwch!" _

"All-_right._" Said Harry, who didn't seem to have noticed. "I'm going to shoot a stunner at you, James. Try and block it- if you can!"  
>James grinned confidently and shook back his sleeves. "I'm ready. You're going down, dad!"<p>

"I wouldn't be so sure. Three, two, one..._stupefy!_"

"_Protego!"_

A shield wavered in mid-air: and then shattered as Harry's spell blasted through, pushing James into the wall. Catrin shook her wand again. Stupid, stupid!

"There you can see how _not _to do it. Now you, Miss Jones- what's your full name? I hope you don't mind, but I already know Fred, James and Alice by their first names."

"Catrin." She replied, not concentrating on Harry but on her wayward wand, anger boiling up inside.

"Catrin. Right. Get ready, then. I'll go easy on you. Three...two..."

"_PROTEGO_!" Catrin yelled, putting all of her fury into the volume of her voice, just as Harry released a bolt of red lightning. Something seemed to break inside her, and a fully fledged charm burst into being just as the stunning spell hit it, reflecting it back across the room and onto her tutor, who flew backwards into a desk.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" She gasped, as soon as Harry could sit up.

He blinked at her, and then, slowly, his face cracked into a huge grin. "Sorry? Why are you sorry? That was the best first-time shield charm I've ever seen!"

"Oh..." Catrin could still feel power thrumming in her blood and she couldn't deny that she felt fantastic, like a weight had suddenly lifted from her shoulders. Maybe now...

She turned to a desk behind her. "Stupefy!" A jet of light shot from her wand and smacked it into it's fellows. She laughed, exhilarated: and then turned to see Fred, James and Alice goggling at her.

"Why the _hell _didn't you tell us that you could cast like that?" James gasped- the first to recover.

"I only just found out myself." She beamed back.

"I'll say." Fred sat down heavily. "I thought girls couldn't cast well..."

"Hey! You're friends with me!" Alice elbowed him. "And Ginny- I mean Mrs Potter- is good, as well as Mrs Weasley, and your grandma, and-"

"Alright! Just saving my dignity!" Fred cried, holding up his arms in mock surrender.

"You've already lost it." Alice had recovered the quickest, and she hugged Catrin happily. "This is excellent! Now you don't have to ask for lessons!"

"I'd still like to...now I can blast them and judo them senseless!"

Harry was watching Catrin intently, and when she turned, unable to stop grinning, he actually flinched backwards.

"Dad?" James asked curiously. "You alright? Did the stunner hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. Catrin Jones...do you mind me asking who your parents are?"

"My mother was Gwendolyn Jones. I think she might have been related to Hestia Jones. My dad...I don't know who he is." But I might have a brother. She added silently.

"You remind me of someone...but that's impossible, of course. Family-wise, though..."

"Who?" Catrin asked urgently. "Who do I remind you of?"

Harry half turned away from her, so the dim morning light cast a shadow over his features. "Of a bad family...who occasionally produce a good person."

"I have a bad family?" Catrin asked, confused, but Harry was already stowing his wand away. "Right, that's enough for now. Whenever I'm in, you can come and see me for wand practise, if you like. Pleasure to meet you, Catrin. Not you three, though." He ruffled James' hair affectionately.

"See you at dinner." And then he walked out, leaving the other four to stare at each other.


	12. Chapter 11: A Run In

**Hey guys! Another chapter... reviews would be nice! I won't tell you how many of you have it wrong about Catrin's parentage...cos that would be annoying. But Raven I loved your review! :)**

* * *

><p>"So, you're a bad egg, Jones." James commented as they sat together in the Great Hall. "I'm sure the International Confederation of Wizards will be wanting a word any day now."<p>

"They can't do that." Scoffed Alice through a mouthful of sausage. "Anyway, all we have to go on is your dad's word for it for someone that Cat _might _have reminded him of. You don't even know who it was. It could have been You-Know-Who for all you- only joking, Catrin!"

Catrin pulled a face at her, breaking the sudden tension in the group, and turned her attention to the plate of chicken that had been given less than satisfactory attention during dinner. The amount of shocks administered to her that day had given her appetite a bit of a roughing up, but the thrill of mastering a spell first-time suddenly brought it back with a vengeance.

"Where are the other two, anyway?" James feigned indifference to Mary and Valerie's names- though Catrin wasn't completely sure he knew who Val was.

She answered anyway. "Val's gone up to the dorm- she didn't feel too good- and Mary...I dunno what's happened to her. Library?"

"She could become our next disappearance. Woooo!" Fred fluttered his fingers in a ghostly manner at Alice, causing Nearly Headless Nick, who was chatting to a couple of Ravenclaws nearby, to stop and give them a frosty glare.

"There haven't been any for aaages, and who would dare to do anything in Hogwarts?" Alice, with a familiarity born of a childhood friendship, slapped away Fred's fingers with her fork.

"Macnair seems pretty busy if you ask me." Catrin mumbled through her food. She fully expected the others to scoff, and was not disappointed: Alice sighed and Fred gave the table a meaningful glance. James, though, looked interested.

"I saw him poking around the Potions classroom earlier today- and it wasn't in lessons, and there wasn't a teacher. Maybe he's planning revenge or something."  
>"Why were <em>you <em>in the Potions classroom, James, if it wasn't lessons, and there wasn't a teacher?"

They all jumped, and Catrin recognised the unctuous tones of Slimy Creep, as he swung himself onto the bench next to the boys.

"Aah, I was just getting some ingredients for...a little surprise I've got planned." James grinned meaningfully at Fred. "The girls promised one too...which..." He stopped, face suddenly turning magenta.

"Which?" Catrin glanced at Alice and started shovelling food down double-quick- it looked like James' and Fred's limited brainpower had finally processed the fact that it had indeed been them who had pulled the trick. A grin spread uncontrollably across her face as she watched the boys' facial expressions manage several interesting variations of the shade puce.

Slimy Creep was nonplussed. "Which what? Can someone fill me in here?"  
>"Which..." James said slowly, turning to face the other two. "...which happened very recently, although I have no idea how in Merlin's hair curlers you managed to pull it off!"<p>

"_What_?" Fred goggled. "What...how!"

That was too much. Catrin just managed to swallow the last mouthful of chicken before she exploded into fits of giggles which turned heads all along the Gryffindor table. Every time she raised her head the gobsmacked look on the boys' faces set them off again.

"But you don't have-" started Fred, before James elbowed him sharply in the ribs, and he changed tack at lightning speed "-the brain power!"

"We do! Enough to notice that you're not telling us something!" Alice managed, after her howls of hilarity had finally subsided. Catrin wiped the tears from her eyes, and nodded.

"Well we can't tell you- it is crucial to our success as pranksters!"  
>"You haven't pulled a prank yet!"<p>

"Well it will be. And we will have by tomorrow!" James was looking furiously at them. "I'm not giving you extra defence lessons, Jones!"  
>"Quite right too!" Slimy Creep had obviously decided to join in. "I agree entirely with what you're saying- she won't be able to manage them! Girls..." He said knowingly to Fred. "They're such idiots."<p>

"Ah." Fred looked uncomfortable, but James grinned.

"Idiots!" Catrin gaped at Slimy Creep. "I think you're the idiot here!" This rollercoaster ride of a day had left just enough energy for her temper to rise to the surface with a vengeance.

"How am I an idiot? I am a year older than you all. I think you should respect your betters." The pale blond head dipped up and down in a self-congratulatory salute. Alice rolled her eyes; Catrin didn't.

"Yes? I think I can beat you the Muggle way, before I get started on magic!"

"Catrin..." James held up his hands, placating.

Catrin glared at him. She had to go. Now. Before she did something really satisfying.

"Right. I'm going to go and find Mary. Coming, Alice?"

Alice gestured towards her half-full plate and made an apologetic shrug.

"Fine, then." She turned on her heel and stalked out of the Great Hall, fuming about the idiocy of Slimy Creep- and the creeps-in-training sitting around him. Through the haze of anger, she was vaguely aware of someone following her, but ignored them as she made her way out of the Great Hall and stormed up the marble staircase.

She made it as far as the third floor before whoever was following caught up.

"Wait. Jones!"

James Potter grabbed her shirt sleeve as she made to turn the corner, and she didn't even think: she just wrenched his arm backwards and twisted it up into his back before realising what she was doing and awkwardly dropped it, cheeks flaming up.

"What- what do you want, Potter?"

James winced theatrically, rubbing his arm. "Well I _was _going to apologise for Benedict's behaviour just now; I don't really agree with what he said. I don't think he does either, though- he just wants to show off. He's really nice once you get to know him."

"Yeah, and telling a group of girls that they're stupid is a good way of starting." Catrin snapped- the accidental-on-purpose arm wrestle had made her feel even worse than before. Sadly for herself, and James, she was not in a forgiving mood.

"Ahh..." James shuffled awkwardly. "Look, I don't know why he did it; I'm just apologising for Ben. Can you just...accept my apology and I can stop feeling embarrassed for him?"

Catrin snorted, and backed off around the corner, but-  
>"Stop!" This time <em>her <em>arm was grabbed and yanked backwards by a suddenly alert James. Furious, Catrin struggled against his grip. "Let _go_!"  
>"Shh! Look around the corner!"<p>

She hesitated- and then did as he said. James might act stupid most of the time, but when he was serious, he sharpened up fast.

Just around the corner, she could spot McLaggen's hulking body towering over something behind him; something she couldn't see. Catrin could just about make out his voice, though:

"How much did you see? _Tell me_!"

"Nothing! I didn't see anything!" The bottom dropped out of Catrin's stomach as she recognised the panicked tones of Mary Jordan, always chatty, now positively babbling at her captor. She glanced around at James- he nodded encouragingly, wand already out.

"Well, we're going to make you disappear now." McLaggen drew something out of his pocket and waved it menacingly at Mary, who squeaked. "You won't be able to talk for a while...maybe ever. Scared yet, Gryffindor?"

"Leave her alone!" Catrin yelled and jumped out from behind the wall, wand clutched firmly in her hand. McLaggen turned slowly, and she could see the mirthless grin plastered across his face.

That, more than anything else, scared her.

"Ah, some more stupid Gryffindors. Maybe I should start a collection."

"Nobody's going anywhere today." James said steadily, pointing his wand at the hulking figure in front of them. "But I'd be interested to know why you want to make students disappear."  
>"Trade secret, Potter...like I'd tell <em>you<em>. But still, nice try. You'll find out soon, anyway..." a sudden furtive look crossed McLaggen's face, as though he'd realised that he'd said too much. To make up for it, he drew his wand, fast as a snake.

"Too late for help, little idiots. I don't think first-year magic is too good against fifth-year magic. Oh well...you won't be missed. _Reducto_!"

A jet of light shot from his wand- James and Catrin dived aside as it gouged a chunk out of the stonework behind them. Spinning around, Catrin retaliated with a stunning spell of her own, which missed McLaggen, but hit Mary instead- she crumpled to the floor like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

James fired several meaningless hexes at McLaggen- he was clearly much more advanced than his years would suggest- and then dodged them all as they came flying back off his enemy's Shield Charm.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" McLaggen shouted, realising that he'd have to up his game to keep up with James. "_Locomotor Mortis_!" James neatly ducked both and shot back another body bind curse. Catrin, pushed back against the wall, realised that McLaggen's attention was completely focussed on James. If she could just...

She edged closer to the spells, the air cracking with static magic around her, until she was standing just behind a large suit of armour. Catrin waited until her enemy was trying to evade a spell from Potter, and then-

She lunged at the armour, knocking it off its pedestal. For a moment, it teetered precariously- and then, almost painfully slowly, began to fall. McLaggen saw it coming- he twisted in shock- but was too late, and the metal showered down around him.

"_Stupefy_!" Shouted Catrin, and the body of her assailant blew backwards through the air, covered in silver chunks of armour, before landing with a hard _smack_ on the floor.

Shocked, she stumbled backwards, and sat down hard on the floor. James, meanwhile, had run over to Mary's prone body and was calling her name. "Mary...Mary!"  
>Catrin stumbled to her feet, and managed to reach Mary's side just in time to hear her groan. A wave of relief swept her, and for a second she thought that she might collapse again. Adrenaline was thundering through her body like a tsunami. Ordinary, run-of-the-mill fights were one thing, but <em>this...<em>was infinitely scarier, more dangerous...more exhilarating.

She could definitely get used to it.

"She'll be alright." James told Catrin quietly. And then-

"Look out!"

Catrin spun around to see McLaggen lurching off, back down the corridor. As she watched, he shook a plate of armour off his shoulder and broke into a heavy run.

"After him!" She shouted: she forgot how wobbly her legs were or how hard her heart was beating, and took off after the person who she _thought _that she'd just stunned, not caring whether or not James was coming after her.

McLaggen was running towards the fifth floor, taking several shortcuts through hidden tapestries that almost caused her to lose him, and jumping trick stairs that almost made her sink into them. At one point, she ran underneath Peeves, and heard his cackle of delight at the sight of mayhem.

Fortunately the castle was almost empty, everyone being downstairs eating dinner, so she could just about see McLaggen turn a corner into the corridor with a tapestry of a wizard being clubbed to death by trolls.

When she skidded around into the passageway, though, she felt something- some_one_ hit her solidly in the legs, and, seconds later, she tumbled to the floor, feeling vines securing them in place. Just before she hit the ground, she saw McLaggen reach the end of the corridor- and disappear. Just like that, he twinkled out of existence, and behind him, she saw another figure- taller and broader, with dark hair and robes, do exactly the same thing.

Impossible!

What was happening?

Then James hurtled like a race car after her, and skidded over her prone body, executing a spectacular flying leap across the rug and almost colliding with an irate portrait, who shouted _"Watch it, boyo!_" after him, before going back to his card game.

"You alright?" Catrin asked from the floor.

"Yeah...where did McLaggen go?" James asked, baffled. He ran his hand through his hair in a characteristic gesture, and stared at the wall as though hoping it would divulge its secrets.

"I dunno." Catrin said honestly, as confused as him. "I hoped that you'd know- being brought up in the wizarding world and everything."

"Yeah, but there's only so much you can learn about stuff that no-one wants to talk about." He said reasonably, getting to his feet. "That's annoying- I was sure we were onto something."

"We _are_." Catrin said, frustrated. "He, and some other Slytherins, are doing something! I heard, on the train- there's something they've brought to Hogwarts, and hidden, and they're all doing weird things! If I could just _find out_ what they're doing!"

"Well, you've got all of Christmas." James frowned, and crossed to the window. Outside, Catrin could just about make out the soft white flakes of snow falling onto the Hogwarts grounds. Snow...Christmas...well, at least it wasn't on the streets.

Then James turned to face her, still frowning. "You can get up now, you know."

"I can't!" She cried. "McLaggen's used some spell and now my legs are trussed up! I accept your apology from before, just- get me free!"

He frowned at her bruised knees, twined around with some kind of black vines, and then started to chuckle. "Oh , Jones, you're kidding me."

"What?" she demanded angrily, cheeks flushed and boiling.

"Nothing. But still...the great Catrin Jones, fighter extraordinaire, beaten by a bit of rope!"  
>Catrin told him to go do something that she would never have said in English.<p> 


	13. Chapter 12: Some Spots of Bother

Winter had finally arrived at Hogwarts, and it had arrived with a vengeance. Thick bursts of snow whirled hypnotically around the windows, building up into fluffy pillows around any kind of entrance, and laying a glittering white blanket over everything. The corridors were all the temperature of the inside of a fridge freezer, and many students had taken to wearing their cloaks inside in order to escape the bitter cold and loss of feeling in various extremities. Christmas was most definitely in the year and the whole school was feeling festive.

Catrin, meanwhile, had finally recovered from the humiliating incident concerning McLaggen. James had managed to get her to hop to the Hospital Wing and undo the vine's grip on her legs, much to the amusement of all the other students that they passed. Mary had also stayed in the Wing long enough for a person who was stunned and then had an umpteen-kilogramme oaf collapse on them should do. But when the other two had tried questioning her about what she had seen, the terror of the incident had apparently rendered her utterly mute, and no amount of coaxing could tease it out of her.

"Mare! Please! We need to know!" Catrin sighed as Mary mutinously continued to stare at her essay, and gave it up for the night. She hoped that Mary would come around- because the need to find out what the Slytherins and Co. were up to was rapidly becoming more and more interesting. Maybe it was her nosy streak, or maybe it was the growing suspicion, but she needed to find out what was happening.

She put down her copy of _Travelling With Trolls,_ which had actually been more about some bloke called Lockhart than any real trolls, and started to roll up her essay- a fiendishly difficult one for Professor Merrythimble on the properties of Wiggentree Bark. Alice, who was hidden behind a newspaper, looked up.

"Got another lesson with Teddy?" She asked lightly.

"How did you know?" Catrin asked, slightly ruffled. She didn't like more people to know about these lessons than could help it.

"Oh, I'm no Occlumens, I can see him waiting over there." Alice's gentle eyes peered over into the corner of the Common Room, where Teddy was sitting with someone. Judging by the animated look on his face, and the fact that the person he was speaking to had a long ripple of blonde hair spilling down her back, Catrin guessed that it was Victoire Weasley.

"Getting along, aren't they? Maybe I should stay here, where it's nice and warm." Catrin smiled, tucking the scroll into her satchel.

Alice snuggled deeper into her squashy armchair and giggled. "Yeah. Don't leave the fireside; we were lucky to get these chairs. Leave the lovebirds to themselves."  
>"Ahh. Oh well, I'm a killjoy. Better go and break up the party." Catrin stood up, stretching luxuriously. The Common Room was fairly quiet today, as it was before curfew, so with any luck, her friends would be able to hear every single word. At least Potter and Weasley weren't here- but they had seemed pretty quiet since finding out about the girls' prank. Revenge was quite possibly imminent.<p>

"Mind you don't burst any bubbles." Mary mumbled from her seat on the sofa.

"I won't."

Teddy looked up and smiled as Catrin moved towards them- always welcoming, that was him. She noticed that his hair colour had changed- it was precisely the same shade as his companion's.

"Nice to see you, Catrin. Ready for another lesson?"

"No, but let's get it over with." She replied, slipping into their by-now familiar routine. "Hello, Victoire."

Victoire turned, causing her hair to swing behind her in a sweep of red and gold, and fixed smiling sapphire eyes on Teddy's student. "Nice to see you!"

It would have been alright if she was horrible, reflected Catrin ruefully-she could tell that Victoire was the kind of person who made everyone else dim in comparison. The Weasley stood up, grinned at both, and left them with a parting "I'd better let Teddy work his magic."

Overall, the effect was such that it left Teddy staring after her for several seconds before coming back to himself with a jolt. When he did, Catrin grinned cheekily at him.

"Nice hair. I'd say that you two make a matching pair."

"Wha-what?" Teddy glanced at her, and put a hand to his head. "Ohh." He frowned in concentration, and then, with a _pop_, his hair reverted to its normal shade of sky blue. "Better?"

He looked around to see Catrin staring open-mouthed at him- and suddenly his face broke into an extremely mischievous grin.

"I guess you haven't seen that one before."

"No! Can everyone do it?"

"Hah! No, thankfully. I'm a one of a kind. A Metamorphmagus. I can change my appearance at will, so, if I wanted to-"

He screwed up his face again- and Catrin suddenly found herself staring at someone who looked an awful lot like her older brother. _Her older brother..._

"Wow." She said softly. "Were your parents Meta...wotsits?"  
>"My mum was, yes." Teddy leaned casually back in his seat. "I try not to spread the knowledge around- it's always useful to impersonate people- or shock them." He leered over the table at her, and she jerked back. "Cut that out!"<p>

"Haha!" Suddenly the blue hair and grey eyes were back. "Ah well. Looks like all I have to do to scare you is make faces. That's the first half of the lesson done already!"  
>"Very funny. You are employed to teach me my letters. Supposedly."<p>

"Employed? I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart! Now, if you'll get out your quill, we'll see about your parchment skills..."

The hour passed quickly, and the Common Room began to fill up as it did so. Glancing out of the window, Catrin thought that she could define the reason why: the thick, idly swirling snow had given way to a ferocious blizzard which rattled the windows and sent gusts of chilly air into the fire-heated room. Teddy was, as ever, a patient teacher, and she made progress: so much, in fact, that by the end of the lesson he was able to tell her that she officially did not need any more help.

"Your handwriting's perfect: speed writing, pen writing, quill writing, and legible writing. All courtesy of _moi_." He indicated himself proudly. "A top-notch job, if I say so myself."

"You're so humble." Catrin noted dryly, stretching out in her chair. From the corner of her eye, she saw Victoire stand up and weave her way gracefully towards them, snatching a chair from a nearby table as she did so.

"Finished already?" She winked at Catrin. "I thought he was a rubbish teacher, but obviously he's done some good."

"He's alright, but sometimes he can get a bit cocky." Catrin grinned, joining in and causing Teddy to flush magenta. "Oi! 'He' can hear you, you know."

"Really? I thought we were just having a perfectly innocent female conversation." Victoire smiled, batting her eyelashes at Teddy, on whom the effect was not lost. "So, Catrin, are you staying at Hogwarts for Christmas?"  
>"Are you kidding me?" Catrin had put down her name the minute that the Deputy Head- Professor Longbottom- had come around with the sheet on who would be there. "Of course!" It's better than four weeks on the streets. She added silently. "What about you?"<p>

"Oh, I'm going home to Mum and Dad's- it'll be nice to see Dominique- Louis is just a spare part in our family!"

"And I'm staying over at the Potter's. They've always been decent to me." Teddy leaned backwards in his chair, eyes glazing over slightly. "Christmas dinner at The Burrow- you've never experienced anything like it before. I don't know what Molly Weasley does to her sauce, but..."

"Get a grip!" Victoire poked him gently in the ribs.

Catrin smiled at both of them, and then decided that she'd best leave them to it. She fervently hoped that there'd be someone left to celebrate Christmas with at Hogwarts.

The next day was the last day of lessons at the school, and a festive atmosphere had settled over Gryffindor Tower like the snow in the Grounds. The Gryffindors had woken to a superbly decorated room, where the Christmas tree sparkled and the icicles adorning the staircase twinkled and seemed to resist melting.

"It's wonderful!" Catrin sighed happily, gazing spellbound at the suits of armour, which were creaking Christmas carols out at them as they passed.

"You'll get tired of it." Slimy Creep grinned at her on passing in a way that made her feel ever-so-slightly queasy, and she pulled Mary out of the portrait hole in a hurry, causing the Fat Lady to squawk at them indignantly as they headed down to breakfast.

As usual, the post owls brought no letters or parcels for Catrin, and she tried not to look too jealous as Valerie's owl, Icarus, brought her the usual letter and stack of Muggle sweets from her loving, devoted and worried parents. Everything seemed to be good in their world, judging by Valerie's pleased expression- although her birthday had occurred recently (Catrin had been forced to make ends meet and had tried to make her a jumper, with disastrous results).

However, Alice's gasp as Mercury delivered her Daily Prophet told her that all was not well in the Wizarding World.

"Alice? What is it?" Mary asked, peering across the table at their friend, who had blanched white. Alice shook her head slowly and peered at them, as though she was seeing them from far away.

"Al? Alice?" Mary called, waving a hand in front of her face. "Oh, give it here." She grabbed the Daily Prophet from the top of the cornflakes and gave it a shake. Catrin leaned across to investigate.

Splashed across the page was the moving black-and-white picture of a man with long greasy hair, snarling at the camera, accompanied with the caption_ Rodolphus Escapes Azkaban! _

'_Last night, the Ministry of Magic was forced to report the sensational news of a breakout from the notorious wizarding prison, Azkaban. Rodolphus Lestrange, a notorious ex-Death Eater who fought alongside You-Know-You in his attempted coup of the Wizarding World, yesterday managed to evade guards and disappear from his high-security cell yesterday evening. The Minister For Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, now celebrating his 17__th__ term in office, declared "We do not know how Lestrange escaped, only that we will put our utmost efforts into finding and capturing him as soon as possible. t We urge all members of the Wizarding Community to stay calm and alert whilst we attempt to deal with the matter at hand." Lestrange's motives are uncertain, but the Ministry has a good deal to be worried about. Captured at the Battle of Hogwarts following You-Know-Who's downfall, Lestrange was believed to be part of his inner circle and will undoubtedly know magic that will pose a threat to wizards in general...For more information, turn to page four.'_

Mary and Catrin looked at each other. Neither of them, for once, had anything to say.

"He was the one who made my grandparents...not right." Alice's small voice travelled across to where they were sitting. "They still haven't left St. Mungo's."

Catrin didn't want to say anything. The flight of a dangerous mass-murderer from a wizarding prison was quite enough to add to her problems, but a wave of sadness for Alice swept over her. If Lestrange had made her grandparents insane, he'd better be locked away as soon as possible.

"I'm going to find Dad." Alice stood up quickly, almost knocking over her breakfast and causing Mercury to hoot indignantly as she sprinted out of the Hall, knocking aside a couple of gossiping Ravenclaws as she did so.

The girls looked at each other, shocked. Catrin glanced down the table to see how the rest of the Gryffindors were taking the news: Teddy and a couple other seventh-years were talking gravely to each other, as were people like Louis and Victoire.

"Hey, girlies. What's up?"

James and Fred had arrived, along with Slimy Creep. Catrin glared at them, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation, but they seemed blithely unaware- cheerful, even.

"How's it going, Jones, Jordan and Valerie?" Fred smiled, distracting them with his chatter. "Potions today, eh? Done that essay for Prof. Merrythimble? I haven't."

"That's why you'll get kicked out of Hogwarts at the end of the year." Fred leaned back, obscuring the other two from view. "O ye of little faith! Despite your prickly exterior, there is an interior that will miss our joking and chatter."

"Oh yes?" Catrin retorted. "There's only one of you chattering. Where's your other partner in crime, then?"

A look swept briefly over Fred's face- what was it? Shiftiness? Guilt? But then James stepped out from behind his friend, hand clenched. "Right here. Pining for me?"

"Ah, already joshing with the girls." Slimy Creep nudged James, who snorted. Mary did too- but with a lot more sarcasm.

"No, actually. I wanted to ask whether you'd seen the headlines." Catrin spun Alice's newspaper across the table until it was under the boy's noses. Despite everything, she enjoyed watching their faces go slack with shock as they read the caption.

She leaned forwards to make her point. "Rodolphus is on the loose. I think we can safely say we're not pining for you, but worried about Alice instead."

Fred whistled through his teeth. "Blimey. Hope the Muggles won't notice- they've advanced a lot in twenty years. Bless them." He added, almost fondly. "They think they're so clever."

"Mmm." James said, hand flying to his hair. Something was definitely bothering him, but she wasn't sure what it was. "Well, we'd better be off then. Wouldn't want to keep you from your breakfast. I think I'm gonna go send an owl to Dad about Lestrange. See you!"  
>And then he and his posse moved off towards the end of the Gryffindor table.<p>

"I hate that Slimy Creep." Catrin said vehemently, staring after them. "What an idiot." She picked up her goblet of pumpkin juice and took a vigorous gulp. The taste had been strange at the start- and the golden decanters that they had been served in had made her eyes pop- but gradually she'd gotten used to both, even though the bullion could definitely be put to better use.

"Slimy Creep? Good name." Mary said, her eyes following the boys as well. She set down her goblet with a thump. "Where's Val?"

"I don't know; where is she normally?" Catrin thought that their muggle-born friend was nice, but they never seemed to see her much. Whoever her friends were, they obviously were enough that she didn't have to socialise much with her fellow Gryffindors. Probably a group of Hufflepuffs or something similar.

"Shall we go?"

"Yup. In for a penny, in for a pound, and all that jazz." Together, they wended the now-familiar way down to the dungeons, where the frigid air seemed to solidify in their lungs and cause great billowing breaths to undulate in front of them. They passed Macnair on the way up, and exchanged mutual sneers- Catrin especially. She hated that Slytherin with a vengeance.

Professor Merrythimble was –thankfully- early to his lesson, and the shivering dispelled as soon as they kindled the fire underneath their cauldrons for the brewing of a Pepper-Up Potion. As Mary diced roots and Catrin sliced viciously at a particularly stubborn piece of asphodel, Valerie slid into her place next to them, with a hurried "Sorry I'm late."

And then- "Oh my god!"

"What?" Catrin tried to say- but to her horror, all that came out was a bark. A dog's bark. She tried again, with exactly the same results.

"Oh..." Valerie's eyes were as round as saucers. Tentatively she reached up and pulled a strand of Catrin's normally dark hair around to her eyes.

It was fuchsia.


	14. Chapter 13: Christmas

**Hey! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy (and comment!) :)**

* * *

><p>Catrin gaped, horror-struck, at the violent shade assaulting her eyes. That was her <em>hair<em>! _Her hair!_

She coughed, trying to swear, but all that came out was a pitiful whine. Her mind was blank. What was happening? Why had she suddenly mutated into a pink-headed, dog-mouthed weirdo? Had her magical abilities backfired? Was she going to be chucked out of Hogwarts for breaking some kind of unknown rule on self-experimentation?

A whimper from behind her snapped her out of her panic.

She spun around. Mary was standing next to her cauldron, looking just how Catrin imagined that she herself did- shocked, disbelieving...oh yeah, and with the same aggressive hairstyle, but in neon blue.

Both girls stared at each other, and then at the rest of the class. Catrin mentally thanked God and all his accompanying minions that they had chosen to sit at the very back of the class, so nobody had yet noticed them. But they would soon- if they didn't make a run for it now!

She frantically scanned the backs of heads, checking for any faces looking their way. Sadly, two were. One was Imogen Tunise, a Hufflepuff. The other was Fred Weasley, and Catrin did not think it was a coincidence that he was wearing a wide- and more than a little mischievous- grin plastered across his face. Next to him, James and Slimy Creep were looking at the board, but the way that their bodies shook made her sure that they were in silent stitches.

Imogen, by contrast, was gawping at them unflatteringly through the gloom, eyes wide and mouth hanging somewhere around her knees. Then she turned to her friend, Nicole Macmillan.

Oh god. Oh godohgodohgod.

Catrin seized Mary was the hand and sprinted for the dungeon door, knocking over Mary's cauldron as they went. It clattered loudly and indiscreetly on the stone-flagged floor, causing heads to turn.

"Girls? Girls? Where are you going- oh, dear! Look out for the potion, children!" Professor Merrythimble's shouts turned to panicked attempts to keep the class in order as they stampeded out of the way of the deluge.

As Mary slammed the door shut, Catrin was sure she heard gales of laughter start to issue from the room that they had just left, rapidly spreading outwards through the students.

Together, they sprinted madly through the bitterly cold corridors, wind swirling their robes and nipping at their heels. It was only when Mary paused, panting madly, against a statue of some extremely portly wizard with a large moustache, that they stopped to take their bearings.

Catrin looked around, also coughing. Her sheltered life at Hogwarts had obviously had some impact on her fitness levels; otherwise she'd be at the Hospital Wing by now.

She pointed to her hair, and mouthed _What happened?_

Mary clutched at her own neon locks, and shook her head, clearly at as much of a loss as her friend. Catrin felt a surge of relief that Mary had been affected too- so it wasn't her that was wrong. So...who wanted to get their own back, or play a practical joke on them?

Potter and Weasley.

Oh no! She realised, with a sinking feeling, that _that _might have been their prank. To ridicule them in front of the whole class! Her insides boiled. But...how had they managed _that_? They hadn't done any magic on them; they weren't advanced enough. The only way would have been...food.

Things snapped into place. The pumpkin juice...their secretive attitude...Fred's distraction. And she had thought herself sneakier than any of them! She had definitely allowed herself to believe that they wouldn't retaliate any time soon...

She looked up to find Mary miming frantically at her, waving her hands above her head and pointing behind her.

Catrin turned to see Professor McGonagall moving down the corridor towards them, frowning.

"What's all this? Miss Jones, Miss Jordan, perhaps you would be so kind as to explain why you are flaunting that particular shade of hair in Hogwart's grounds?"

Catrin glanced at Mary.

"Now, if you please!"

Catrin winced. She had hoped to avoid talking to teachers. But there was nothing else for it. She barked at the Headmistress, several times before she clapped a hand over her disobedient mouth and stared at her.

McGonagall gazed at the girls like she couldn't decide which expression to use. Eventually, her mouth twitched. "Fallen foul of a student, have you? Off to the Hospital Wing immediately, until you can tell us who the culprit was. In the meantime, I have a particularly nasty incident to sort out regarding a malfunctioning cabinet on the fifth floor. Off with you!"

She stood sentinel as they shuffled past her shamefacedly, and, once she had gone, broke out into a sprint towards the Hospital Wing.

Madam Pomfrey was not in the best of moods to be interrupted by two barking fashion-disaster students just before Christmas, but she sorted them out in a trice. The same could not be said, however, for the rumours which had spread like wildfire through the castle following the flight of Catrin and Mary through the corridors. James and Fred were regarded with more respect than they ought to have for first-years, whilst Catrin and Mary were plagued by whispers.

Just before some students were due to leave for home, James and Fred caught up with the girls in the Common Room, halfway through a game of Exploding Snap, their voices masked by the chatter of excited students- excitement which even the escape of Rodolphus had not been able to dampen.

"Hey Jones and Jordan." James grinned cockily at them, before collapsing into the nearest chair. "How's it going?"

"Now our hair is no longer shocking everyone who stares at us, fine." Mary replied acidly, tossing her dark braids. Catrin frowned and put her cards carefully down before they could singe her eyebrows.

Fred smiled. "Come on, Jordan! You would definitely have done the same to us, if you'd had the chance. You would have...deny it though you may!"

Catrin couldn't help it; her lips twitched upwards. Moments later, Mary followed suit. "Fine, you're right. You got a lot more publicity for your stunt, though."

"We're not gonna let anyone forget it, either." James waved at a passing second-year and turned back to them. "More pranks on the way, you can bet on it. The only question now is...who won?"  
>"What?" Catrin shuffled the cards absently- then she registered what he'd said and her head snapped up.<p>

"_What? _Oh, yeah..." She'd almost forgotten about their competition, but now she came to think of it, the stakes had seemed very high at the time. "Well..."

"I think we win, publicity-wise. What was the forfeit again?" Fred grinned, perching himself on the edge of James' chair.

"I don't know, Fred. It _might _have been insulting the Headmistress...then again, it _might _also have included something to do with owl droppings..." James' smirk had turned nasty, and Catrin sensed it was time to step in pronto.

"Woah, Nelly. Slow down, boyos. I don't think you're taking into account our magical prowess- after all, making your pencils attack you was pretty advanced stuff."

"Including the fact that you didn't twig that it was us until- what was it, a week ago?" Mary stroked her chin mock-thoughtfully. "And we were sure it was you- so, don't start tooting your horns just yet."

James' smile had slid off his face, and he leaned forwards. "Look here, what we did was clearly more impressive than making my pencilcase rebel."

"But how long did it take you to clear up the mess?" Fired back Catrin, really getting into the spirit of things. "You really are _dwp_."

"That's rich, coming from someone who can't even speak English properly."

"Better not able to speak English than a cocky show-off."

James gaped. "Cocky..._cocky show-off_?" Beside him, Fred snorted with suppressed laughter.

"Woah, things are getting serious here. What's the problem, little ones?" The tension snapped; everyone looked up to see Louis Weasley staring at them, looking far more amused than he had any right to be.

"Arguing about whose prank was best." Fred replied. "Our fair and justified debate became heated- Catrin and James should both become politicians."

"Well, Mum wrote to tell you both that we're all going to Grandma Weasley's for Christmas, so Ginny's picking us up at the station." Louis grinned at them, and then at the two girls. "Merry Christmas. Sorry about these two, they'll be out of your hair tomorrow. D'you guys want to call it truce?"

The four stared at each other, and then the funny side of their argument struck them, and they started to chortle. "Fine, quits!" Fred laughed, sticking out his hand, which both girls shook. James didn't put out his, though- he seemed put out by Catrin's insult.

"Okay, truce. No owl droppings; no teacher-name calling." He grumbled. "But you guys really do owe us."

"Not a chance." Catrin smiled, leaving for the dormitory. "Happy Christmas, Weasley, Potter."

"Jones."

* * *

><p>The next morning dawned quiet at Hogwart's School for Witchcraft and Wizardry- a quiet only increased by the blanket of snow muffling all noise from the castle. Catrin woke to find only Alice remaining with her- Mary and Valerie had left in the morning, leaving presents on their beds.<p>

"We live in Hogsmeade anyway, so there's no point in abandoning you." Alice explained, having recovered from her Rodolphus-inspired panic of the previous day. "So- we've basically got free rein!"

They did- apart from a few other Gryffindors, the whole house had scarpered home to their families, leaving Catrin and Alice free for furious snowball fights in the grounds with Professor Longbottom- which Catrin had found more than a little strange at first-, exploring every nook and cranny of the castle, and relaxing in the Common Room with Wizard Chess, some revenge ideas to test out on Slytherins and the boys (Alice had been extremely entertained by her and Mary's little adventure) and endless supplies of toastable materials. Catrin also devoted vast swathes of her free time to finding out more about Rodolphus- the Death Eater fascinated her, simply because he was the first Dark Wizard that she'd ever heard of- and anything to do with her mother's family. She had still to meet Hestia Jones, and felt that the letter left her by her mother, with express instructions only to open when she felt 'the time was right', would possibly have the answers. Time after time she sat with it on her lap, trying to sum up the courage to open it- but, to her eternal shame as a Gryffindor, it eluded her. What she did do, though, was take to wearing her mother's best necklace- pearl with some kind of family crest on the front in stamped silver, though she had no idea what it was supposed to resemble.

Christmas Eve was bright and clear, and Alice sprang a surprise on Catrin in the morning, whilst they were admired the replendescent Great Hall, all decked out in silver and gold for the following day.

"Would you like to come to our house for Christmas?" Alice studiously buttered her toast whilst saying this, avoiding looking directly at her friend. "Dad said you could come- it's just that it would be really nice to have Christmas with my family, and I thought that you would like it if you came to the Three Broomsticks and tried some Butterbeer...is that alright?"

Looking at Alice's worried face, Catrin felt a great surge of affection for her quiet friend. Though Mary was loud and flamboyant, Alice had a way of listening to people and making them feel valued.

"I...I would love that." She said honestly. "It'd be wonderful."

"Really?" Alice's eyes lit up. "That's great! Oh, you'll get to see our Christmas tree- mum splashed out on fairy lights this year- real fairies, mind you, not those silly muggle decorations- and also you'll finally get to see something magical that's not Hogwarts! I can't believe you've never heard about the Wizarding Wireless Network- though thank god that Celestina Warbeck left a few years ago..."

So that Christmas Eve found Catrin at the first Wizarding pub that she'd ever been to. Professor Longbottom swept open the door to reveal a blast of light in the freezing snow, and shouted "Hannah darling- we're here!"

There was a faint shout, and a lot of banging, and finally a rumpled looking woman appeared in the doorway, and hugged her daughter and husband tightly. Catrin looked away to disguise the lump in her throat. She _would not _feel sad tonight- or any night, if she had anything to do with it.

"Hang on dear." Said a familiar voice- and she looked up to see the kindly woman from the Leaky Cauldron smiling down at her.

"Ah, here's your friend, Alice!" She cried, enfolding Catrin in a warm, motherly embrace before she could protest. "You were at the Cauldron, I remember now. Well, there'll always be a place for you here, as long as I'm the landlady."

"Er...thank you." Catrin wasn't sure how to respond, as Hannah swept them through a large, wood-furnished room decorated with tinsel and holly, behind the counter and into the back of the pub, where a large, comfortably-furnished living room with a roaring fire awaited them. And-

"Allie!" A small dark shape detached itself from one of the plush armchairs and hurled itself at Alice, wrapping itself tight around her middle. Alice hugged it back and then stepped away, and Catrin could now see a small boy of about 8 years old, with his mother's kind face and his father's dark hair, smiling shyly at her.

"This is Jonny- my brother, and a complete pain." Alice swatted Jonny gently, causing him to squeal.

"Ah-nice to meet you." Catrin crouched down and very solemnly offered him her hand. He giggled, and took it. "My name's Catrin."

"I'm called Jon!" He announced proudly. "And you're very big."

"Well, maybe one day you'll be as big and strong as me." Catrin grinned, hoping fervently that he wouldn't have to go through anywhere near what she had had to at his age.

"Yeah." He said, beaming.

There was an awkward silence, only broken when Hannah bustled forwards and asked whether Catrin wanted anything to drink.

"Er...no, thank you." She said, but was quickly interrupted by Alice.  
>"Don't listen to her, mum. She needs some Butterbeer! Can you believe, she's never had any!"<p>

"Oh, but its alcoholic..." Hannah chewed her lip. "What do you think, darling?"

"It's Christmas Eve. Come on, I'll pour you one too." Professor Longbottom reached out to put an arm around his wife. He smiled at the girls. "I'm sure you won't become tipsy _too _quickly..."

Catrin had never had a Christmas like this for a long time. The Longbottoms were wonderful hosts, plying everyone with Butterbeer and making sure that nobody's glass- or plate- was empty. Catrin also was boggled by the number of magical things in the household- from the mirror that shouted things at her as she passed down the corridor, making her scream, to the self-cleaning pots and pans that the Christmas dinner was cooked in. Catrin found herself smiling and laughing with the rest of them, making her heart much lighter than it had been for a very, very long time.

Night found them all sprawled sleepily in the living room, Jonny gone to bed; Alice snoozing by the fire. Catrin, meanwhile, was wide awake, and so was Professor Longbottom. She stared into the dregs of her tea, not wanting to go to sleep and end what had been a perfect day.

"So, enjoyed your time here?" That made her jump, and she looked upwards, before deciding on a truthful answer.

"It's been wonderful. Especially since otherwise I'd be in Hogwarts all alone for Christmas!"

"Ah. No family to go home to?"

Catrin studied him out of the corner of her eye. Should she risk the truth? Eventually, her lightheadedness (and possibly the Butterbeer she'd drank) meant she decided yes.

"No."

"That's a shame."

"Yeah." Then, wanting to elaborate, she added "My mother died a while ago. I don't know any of my relatives."

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like, to lose family."

_Why, _she suddenly thought with a flash of resentment, _did everyone feel like they could empathize with her?  
><em> This family atmosphere made her feel weak; made her feel vulnerable, and she didn't want to open herself up. She leaned forwards to leave, and as she did so, her necklace swung forwards and caught the light, winking alluringly in the half-light from the fire.

Longbottom instinctively leaned forwards to examine it; Catrin jerked backwards, tucking it away down the front of her jumper.

"Good night, Professor. Thanks for the...for everything."

"That's fine, Catrin." He replied absently, staring into space with a thoughtuful look on his face. She left him like that, gazing into nothing, while she made her way up to Alice's bedroom to wait for Christmas Day.


	15. Chapter 14: New Years Blues

Christmas Day came almost too quickly, in a blur of wrapping paper, Spellotape and food. And what a Christmas it was- Catrin couldn't ever remember feeling happier, and decided that this was the way she would aim to spend Christmas for the rest of her life. They feasted sumptuously on turkey, Christmas pudding and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans until Catrin was sure that she could feel her sides splitting from the exorbitant amount of food. Her belt definitely needed letting out more than a couple of notches, anyway. The Longbottoms were wonderful hosts- kind, caring and considerate, and she developed a fondness for all of them, especially Jonny, who hid a remarkably cheeky side behind the shyness that she'd seen earlier.

The family exchanged presents in the morning, letting Catrin catch a glimpse of what it was to grow up in a wizarding household- Jonny received a toy broomstick and zoomed madly around the house, smashing various items, whilst Alice unwrapped a set of Martin Miggs the Mad Muggle comics, as well as a special Honeyduke's selection of sweets (which mysteriously disappeared ten minutes later). Catrin, for her part, was astounded to actually get some presents of her own: a Shape-Changing Hat, which morphed from bonnet to crown to any other head garment you could think of, and, rather amusingly, an Assemble-It-Yourself Transformation Kit, which caused people to sprout huge ears, noses, tongues, and hundreds of other things, depending on the combination of ingredients. Looking at it, Catrin could see an infinite number of possible revenge plans and pranks popping up in her head, and mentally thanked god that she'd spent the last amount of her Hogwarts grant to buy presents for Alice and her family- though her miniscule funding had only stretched to chocolates, if she was going to be honest.

Afterwards, Catrin insisted upon helping Hannah clean up after the gigantic Christmas dinner- though magic did most of the work- and time passed quickly thanks to the huge number of Celestina Warbeck songs which steadily oozed out of the radio.

"This song was old twenty years ago- Merlin's beard, that makes me feel even older! I was a student then...but listen to me! How are you finding Hogwarts, anyway?" Hannah asked, busily scrubbing at the roasting dish whilst Catrin tackled the tower of dirty cutlery.

"Good." Then, feeling she had to clarify, "Wonderful, actually. I like it a lot better than what I'd be doing otherwise."

Hannah didn't ask questions, and for that alone Catrin could easily have hugged her. Instead, she simply smiled and said "I loved Hogwarts. I still do, as a matter of fact. So, when Rosmerta- the last owner of the Three Broomsticks- died, I didn't hesitate to buy it from her."

"Do...do you like being the landlady?" Catrin ventured. She didn't know what wizards did when they left school, but running a pub seemed disappointingly _normal _to her.

"I love it." Hannah stated firmly. "I get to talk to people, which I adore, and help them, and make their day better. On top of that, I'm close to Neville, and to my children. I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather do."

"Oh." Catrin couldn't think of a response to that, so instead she stared out of the window, where fat, fluffy flakes were winding their way out of the sky. All was white, still, peaceful...

Wait.

What were those?

Catrin leaned forwards almost unconsciously, squinting through the window at the dark shapes which had seemingly materialised out of nowhere, stark against the snowy landscape. They looked tall; they were wearing black cloaks with the hoods pulled right up over their faces. They seemed to be facing another cloaked person.

"Hannah..." She said uneasily, looking up at her companion. "Who are they?"

Wiping her greasy hands on her apron, Hannah gazed out onto the white scene. "No idea. It's bad weather for it, and on Christmas Day, too! I'll just go and ask them what they want."

"Will you be alright?"

"'Course I will be, dear." But Catrin noticed that Alice's mother had taken her wand out of her apron pocket as she went to the back door and swung her cloak around her. The door shut with an ominous thump.

What should she do? Go after her? Catrin doubted that her dubious magical talent would be of much use in a fight.

_Fetch Professor Longbottom, _she decided, and sprinted into the living room, where Neville was conjuring up toy trains made of sparks for Jonny to chase around on his broomstick. Alice was absorbed in a book, but looked up at Catrin's entrance.

"Sir, Hannah's- I mean Mrs Longbottom's- gone outside. I mean, there are some dark figures in cloaks, and she's all on her own, and..."

Mr Longbottom sprang out of his chair with the nimbleness of a man half his age. "Alice, look after Jonny, will you? I'm sure it's nothing, but I'll just go and check."

Catrin hurried after his retreating shape, yanking on her trainers as she did so, and grabbed her cloak as she followed him out into the wilderness. Snow crunched loudly under their feet as they made their way towards the congregation, and as they got closer Catrin could see about five figures squaring off to the short shape. Ahead, Hannah was just about reaching them.

Suddenly, the prospect of going to face up to those figures was a lot less appealing.

"...what are you doing here?" Catrin could just about make out. "Why are you bothering us again, after all these years? I must say, this is most irregular, but I'm sure Harry will be pleased to see _you _again."

Indistinct mumbling. And then- "You. You! What- why?"

Professor Longbottom lengthened his stride and ran to his wife's- and the mysterious person's- aid, but before he could do anything there were was a whoosh, shortly followed by several loud _crack_s, and the shadowy outlines disappeared- literally vanished- into thin air.

Whilst Catrin stood there, gawping at the scene, Hannah made her way towards them, shaking, and was hastily enfolded in Professor Longbottom's arms.

"Is everything alright?" he asked urgently, and was rewarded with a quick nod. "What did they want?"

"I'm not sure...shall we see whether that person is alright?"

A very unteacherly word was uttered, and then Catrin's Head of House was striding towards the only person left, the attacked one, lying in the snow, limp as a rag doll. Catrin followed, ignoring Hannah's gasp, with butterflies fluttering apprehensively in her stomach and her heart in her throat. Professor Longbottom was helping the figure to sit up; as he did so, the voluminous hood fell back, and she saw a short, elderly man with a violently purple scarf and a bushy white beard.

"Come on, Deadalus, let's get you inside. I'm sure you'll feel better after a hot cup of tea."

Longbottom motioned with his hand for Catrin to help him stand, and with Hannah's aid, they helped him inside to the front of the fire, conjuring up a mug of tea from the kitchen as he did so. Alice sat up, alarmed, but he quickly spoke over, voice low and urgent.

"It's alright- your mother's just had a bit of a shock. Mr Diggle, meanwhile, has had a Speech Impediment Jinx put on him, so we don't know who he was talking to- your mum wasn't close enough to see. Just look after him, whilst I go up to the Castle and find Minerva- sorry, Professor McGonagall. I won't be long."

And with that, he spun on the spot, and, with a sound like a gunshot, disappeared. Catrin stared at Alice. "What _is_ that?"

Alice glanced up. "What? Oh, that. Apparition. How we get places. Without those weird boxes on wheels that Muggles use. What happened out there?"

"Um. Mr...Mr Diggle was talking to these guys- there were about five of them, I didn't really see any of them. He...he sounded like he recognised them, anyway. Then we came up to see what was going on- there was a whooshing, like wind, and then they...apparationed?"

"Disapparated. Well, whoever it was, Dad will probably know as well. He used to be part of a secret society, fighting Dark wizards." Alice looked suitably proud, and then lowered her voice to a whisper. "Poor man. I think he's in shock. I know this wizard who had his own Memory Charm backfire on him- never recovered."

Catrin did not find this news at all encouraging.

Alice looked concernedly at Diggle, who was taking baby sips from his mug, and staring into the grate, fixed expression firmly in place.

They didn't say anything else while Hannah came into the living room as well, steadily draining her mug, but by the time she'd finished, their visitor looked decidedly less grim. He stood up so suddenly that both Alice and Catrin jumped, and mimed going to put his mug away, holding it up meaningfully, and beaming broadly.

"Will he be alright?"

"Yeah." Catrin said bracingly. "'Course he will be."

Just then, there came the sound of smashing china from the kitchen. The three females glanced at each other, and Catrin and Alice raced to the doorway to help the man, whom they were sure had fallen.

But he hadn't fallen. In fact, he was no longer there at all, but his cloak and shoes were still by the closed door.

Alice clapped her hand to her mouth, stifling a scream, whilst Catrin bent down. The china fragments were lying in a puddle of clear liquid- melted water from his clothing? She reached down to pick them up almost absent-mindedly, not minding her soaking jeans, and put them into a bowl, dripping the water everywhere.

"What's happened?" Hannah was standing at the doorway, her mug in her hand. "Has he left already?"

"He..." Catrin found it hard to take in. She swallowed hard- the butterflies from earlier had been transfigured into a herd of buffalos. A distant threat, brought so close? "He's vanished. Deadalus Diggle is missing."

* * *

><p>The rest of the Christmas holidays passed in a blur of Ministry workers, Aurors, and Daily Prophet reporters scurrying around Hogsmeade. It seemed that Deadalus Diggle, like the others, had well and truly pulled a –well, a magical- disappearing trick on the rest of the Wizarding World, baffling even the best magicians as to how it was done. Catrin, for her part, went back to Hogwarts with Alice, and as such was able to avoid the reporters scurrying around the Three Broomsticks like vultures circling in for the kill- Hannah wasn't so lucky. Fortunately for her, the persistent snow meant that they all soon left, though not before they had vamped the fears of the Wizarding world to fever pitch.<p>

Unfortunately, the rest of the students soon returned from their holidays, all of them eager to know what had happened. Once word had gotten around that it had been Catrin and Alice who had been eyewitness to the whole thing, they were besieged by a barrage of students, all eager for their firsthand opinion and recount of the whole thing. Sadly for them, Alice was very quiet about the whole thing, and Catrin, who didn't mind crowds, but who loathed being at the centre of attention, had to learn where the secret passageways around Hogwarts were very fast, or risk being ambushed.

As for their friends, Valerie was glad she'd missed out on the action, casting a stark contrast to Mary, who wanted to know everything. James Potter and Fred Weasley had also been keen to know what had transpired, but Potter had refrained from asking too many questions because of, Catrin strongly suspected, jealousy that he was not the one that everybody was heckling. She had been trying to work everything out- and, for some reason, had taken the bowl of drenched tea shards with her, in the hopes that it would lead to some kind of clue which would save Deadalus and the other vanished wizards. So far, all the china had done was sit at the bottom of the water, glaring at her, but Catrin was determined that there was _something _she could do to unravel the mystery.

Needless to say, she hadn't gotten far, though the troubles had, for once, completely eclipsed her quest to find her family- except for the letter she'd written to Hestia Jones, delivered to her by Hannah, who apparently knew her.

The first-years were soon buried in a mound of parchement by the homework heaved onto them almost immediately after they came back by their teachers, which occupied much of their time. The library became the most popular spot by far, and Catrin spent time there after her friends had gone, hoping to speak to Michael Thomas. Happily or unhappily, he was avoiding her with a vengeance, probably wary of getting dragged into the fracas himself. She couldn't really blame him.

On one library-oriented evening, Catrin was heading back to the Common Room in a towering temper, thanks to a Dungbomb set off under her seat by none others than Messrs. Potter and Weasley. She would have hit them, if she knew where to find them, but they had literally, and conveniently, vanished into thin air. With nobody to take her temper out on, she had nothing left to do but storm back to her four-poster, looking for something on which to vent her fury.

So when she banged past a student, and heard him gasp, then start to say '_Rictu-' _she didn't think twice about lashing her foot around in a powerhouse kick, making contact with something hard. She heard the dull _snap_, but it was too late...and then a spell slammed into her ribs, knocking her backwards onto the floor, and causing her to narrowly miss a statue.

For a second, both her and her assailant/victim lay gasping on the stone flags, getting their wind back. Catrin felt like she'd gotten on the wrong end of an elephant stampede- no, an erumpent stampede. Gingerly, she ran a hand over her ribs, taking a cautious inventory of her various battle wounds. Head: intact, but hurting. Ribs, arms, legs...actually, rest of body: ditto. Slowly, she levered herself into a sitting position, in order to get a better view of who it was that had attacked her and been attacked by her. Then she felt her stomach sink.

Blond hair, grey- but red-rimmed- eyes, pointed chin- Scorpius Malfoy was clutching his bloody nose and glaring daggers at her.

Her first reaction was absolute horror- firstly, because it looked like _she'd broken his nose_! Merlin's pants, this was bad. She didn't mind teaching other students (namely, the Troublesome Twins) a lesson, but actually hurting someone was something else completely.

What should she do now? Catrin opened her mouth to apologize, but-

"What dyoo do dat for?" Scorpius snarled. Her sympathies vanished.

"You attacked me!"

"Dyoo attacked me first!"  
>"I didn't attack you! Well, I didn't mean to. I was just angry. Not with you!" Catrin amended hastily. "With James Potter."<p>

"Oh, _him_? Gryffindors _do _fall out, do dey?"

"Of course! Er- so do Slytherins."  
>"Doh." Scorpius pushed out his thin chest proudly, and spat out a mouthful of red. "We stick together. Dot like you, obviousdy."<p>

"And then you gang up to attack us." Catrin pulled her aching knees close into her chest, resting her chin on them.

"_What_? I think dyoo'll find that _dyoo_ attack _us_."

Catrin stared into his grey eyes, and was struck by how similar they were to hers. In fact, by how similar his opinion was to hers- just flipped in favour of his house. Suddenly weary, she closed her eyes, and apologised. "I'm sorry."

Scorpius looked startled- or as startled as one could look with blood dripping down their chin. She didn't think he'd expected that. "Um...dat's alright. Weird, dough. Our houses don't normally say sorry to each udder."

Catrin was, despite herself, intrigued by this statement, and leaned forwards, eyes suddenly snapping open again.

"How long d'you reckon this Gryffindor-Slytherin thing has been going on?"

"Dunno. Dince Hogwarts sdarted, I guess."

Catrin felt a wave of sympathy towards him. His nose was quite probably broken- and it was all her fault. It was the least she could do to ensure that he got it fixed.

"Well, today a Gryffindor is helping a Slytherin. To the Hospital Wing. Come on."


	16. Chapter 15: Smoothing Out Some Wrinkles

"There. It should be fixed now. Wrinkle your nose for me, please."

Scorpius obediently wrinkled, and was triumphantly pronounced cured by Madam Pomfrey, who then brandished her wand at the pair of them. "Now, get out! I've seen you far too many times in here, Mr Malfoy! And as for you, Miss Jones, you always seem to turn up as well, more often than not sporting a ridiculous hair colour!"

The two stared at her, and then scarpered, stifling snorts.

Madam Pomfrey had mended Scorpius' nose in a trice, but it hadn't taken away the pain of her kick. Surprisingly, Scorpius hadn't harboured any bad feelings about her attack- if anything, he'd seemed impressed. In all, he had been a welcome shock, as they had gotten on surprisingly well.

"But you can do so many spells." Catrin argued as he prodded his nose experimentally, causing him to shake his head.

"But you can defend yourself without a wand. That's worth something in itself."

"Once I've managed to dodge all the jinxes and hexes flying my way. Most of the books in the library aren't helping, either- it's all very well in theory, but I've got nobody who's willing to be practised on."

"Well, you certainly practised your self-defence skills on me."

Catrin smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. It's fixed, anyway. Anyway...I think I've got a solution."

"You have?"

Scorpius nodded wisely. "I have. How about...you teach me how to break people's noses, and I teach you how to throw them against walls."

Catrin was silent for a moment, not sure how she felt about this new development. She didn't mind spending time with Scorpius...for the twenty minutes she'd spent with him, anyway. But she'd done that out of guilt...did she, a Gryffindor, want to spend more time with a Slytherin?

But hadn't she just chucked that one out of the window by taking him to the Hospital Wing in the first place?

And could she trust him?

Hmm...

She glanced upwards to see the ex-patient looking at her sympathetically. "You can call it off at any time, if you like." He offered. "I just thought...it's convenient, isn't it? And, you owe me one. Or two."

She gave him a grudging half-smile, stopping where she stood in the corridor. "That's true. Alright then, Mr Malfoy...you've got yourself a deal. How about...the third classroom along the Charms corridor at 6 o'clock on a Monday? I used to spend time there shunting desks around."

She stuck out her hand, and then decided to go the whole hog and spat on it. Scorpius looked faintly green at that, but didn't waver, which earned him a lot of respect in her book. The portraits surrounding them looked on curiously as he did the same and ceremonially squelched her hand in his, grey eyes dancing.

"Six o'clock on a Monday? We'll start with _Rictusempra_."

* * *

><p>"I hate to think I'm being weird...but why, Jones, are you staring at a bowl of broken pottery? Is this what Muggles do for fun? I can see why you came to Hogwarts."<p>

Huh? Catrin blearily shook herself awake, and glanced up at James Potter's sceptical face.

"Oh. It's you."

"I'm glad to know you appreciate me so much." James ignored the lack of enthusiasm and dropped into the chair opposite her. He then proceeded to stare, with the appearance of deep concentration, at the bowl of shards.

"Erm..what are you-"

"Shh! Can't you see I'm in the middle of an important mug-staring session here?"

Catrin couldn't help it; her lips twitched. "That's going to be Catrin-code for anything remotely boring from now on."

"Excellent. Knew I'd get to you eventually." James grinned and leaned backwards in his chair, hazel eyes penetrating her own. "Now then, what's going on in your world?"

"Well, I'm trying to figure out why people are disappearing like...like hotcakes." Catrin didn't know why she was telling James Potter this- it wasn't like he'd be able to give her any constructive help. But still..._any_ kind of help would be welcome in this situation.

"Ah. Tricky one, that."

"And this was on the floor- plus the water- when Diggle vanished. That's strange, actually...the water hasn't disappeared."  
>"Oh, is that all? And I thought you were trying to prove Einstein wrong." James leaned back even further in his seat and yelled across the packed Common Room. "TEDDY!"<p>

Several people glanced around, startled, and then a violently blond head appeared from the middle of the crowd of seventh-years, with a pair of owlish blue eyes underneath it. Catrin had to stare for a moment to recognise Teddy as he wound his way through the hordes of students. She noticed that, from her position amongst the sixth years, Victoire was staring at his eye-catching colouring as much as anyone- more, in fact, seeing as it mimicked hers and Louis' hair and eyes exactly.

"Yes?" Teddy said, putting on an air of deep exasperation. "If you keep yelling at me like that, I'll have to put you in detention. Where's your partner in crime? I'll book him too, while I'm at it."

"Ahh, but if you did, I wouldn't give you an intriguing problem to solve. And we all know how much you love those. Fred is...busy. You'll find out why later." James smirked at his friend. "Nice hair, by the way. Has Vicky noticed yet?"

"Don't call her that." Teddy flushed.

But he sat down, and in a moment his hair was a sombre brown. "Now. You have a problem? Hello by the way, Catrin."

"Hi!"

"I heard that you broke a Slytherin's nose yesterday."

Now it was Catrin's turn to blush. James goggled at her, and she quickly moved on, hiding her guilt. "He's fine now. Anyway, this was at the Disappearance Scene from Christmas. When Diggle vanished."

She indicated the bowl. "And the mug might not be anything special, but the water really should've...what's the word? _Wedi anweddu..._evaporated by now."

Teddy smiled, dismissing her momentary slip, (unlike James, who snorted) and leaned over the bowl, staring down at the shards. "_Really_? The disappearance...how interesting..."

"Look out, Catkin. Studious Big-Head Boy alert." James grinned, receiving a mock-punch from Teddy, who then prodded the liquid a bit more and slid a rather unusual pair of glasses from his pocket. Nestled within the bog-standard frames were lenses tinted a vibrant blue, with a large dial on the side. These, to both Catrin and James' fascination, were put on, and the dial twirled the way someone might twirl the dial on a radio.

About ten minutes passed, with nobody daring to speak over the hubbub of the Common Room, and then Teddy slid the wonder-specs off and turned to face the other two. By this time, James looked just as interested as Catrin, who was starting to wish that she'd never mentioned the disappearances to him.

"Well, I reckon that if the water hasn't evaporated by now, it's probably a potion. I'll be able to find out what it is if I take it into Potions tomorrow..."

"No!" Catrin cut in sharply. "It might not come back- the Ministry might take it as evidence."

"...which is why I wasn't thinking of doing that. Because I think that we have the answer sitting right in front of us." Teddy conceded.

Catrin looked at James.

James looked at Catrin.

"What?" They said in unison.

"Well, I think that this time, it isn't James who is responsible for finding this one out. If you'll look closely..." Teddy grabbed a spare quill from the desk and fished out a mug-shard from it.

"Whilst it isn't submerged completely, you can't see anything wrong with it. But once it is..."

The china was ceremoniously- and not without some effort from the quill, which snapped- submerged in the bowl.

And then it wasn't there anymore.

The first-years goggled at the offending mug-shaped hole in the bowl- and then, it clicked.

"Of _course_!" Catrin cried, slapping her forehead. "_Twpsyn..._yes! That was the potion that the Slytherins left behind when they were trying to make themselves disappear. I'd completely forgotten about it! It was what we used to pull the prank on James and Fred!"

"Beg pardon?" James looked stunned and annoyed in equal measure, running a hand through his hair. "So _that's _what you used! I don't suppose you'd mind if..."

"Yes. No stealing, I don't want you doing the same thing on us. I did say we should have won that competition."

"Fat chance."

"Pull the prank, you say?" Teddy looked highly amused. "Might have to put you in detention too. I almost fell for your innocent Welsh-girl-with-an-unsuspecting-accent act. Hmm...this is interesting, though..."

" The Slytherins were using it to make themselves disappear?" All three of them jumped, and spun around to see Louis and Mary looking at them accusingly.

"How long have you two been here?" Catrin yelped.

"Long enough to hear the full confession." Mary raised her arms and widened her eyes spookily. "We're coming to get you..."

"Shut up!" Catrin smacked her over the back of the head. "Unless you want to tell us what exactly you found out that Macnair wanted to get you so badly..."

"No." Mary said bluntly, face turning serious immediately.

"Anyway, d'you want to tell us about these Slytherins?" Louis asked curiously.

"Oh, yes!" And before she knew it, Catrin was spilling out every bit of information she could remember to the group.

At the end, there was a collective silence. She gazed around worriedly- had she overcomplicated things? Teddy's, James' and Louis' faces were all wearing thoughtful frowns, whilst Mary just looked gobsmacked at the secret goings-on in the castle, all happening without her being in the slightest aware of anything.

"Let me get this straight, then..." James said with unaccustomed consideration, stroking his chin in a wise way. "People are missing because of a Concealment Potion; something's been hidden in the 'Room of Reflections', and Rodolphus is on the loose, possibly aiding and abetting a group of cloaked people who are _causing _the disappearances."

They all stared at him.

"What?"

"James," said Louis. "You never cease to amaze me. And I thought that you had the mental capacity of a baboon."

"Well, I am full of surprises."

"Have you ever thought that the Slytherins might be in on it?" Teddy said seriously, scratching his chin with the snapped-off end of the quill. "Their parents could well have been Death Eaters."  
>"Not McLaggen, though. He's a Slytherin from a family of Gryffies." James interjected.<p>

"Why are you all helping out?" Catrin asked, confused.

"Because," Teddy said with an air of exasperation, "a) You are on the case of something extremely interesting, b) This interesting thing could involve danger to people if we don't sort it out, and c) because, whether or not you like it, your prickly little exterior has warmed the cockles of our hearts. We want to help, Catrin!"

Catrin looked around at the others, and for once she was lost for words.

* * *

><p>The cold drizzle of winter gradually melted in the following week into a warmer, gentler February, causing leaves burst into being in a matter of seconds (or less, depending on what dragon-dung fertiliser Hagrid and Professor Longbottom were using). The moods of all the students lifted considerably with the arrival of the first pastel-blue sky since October, although they were a bit shaken by Fred and James' sudden spree of pranking.<p>

For reasons unknown, and with equipment unknown, they had set up a series of what could only be described as glass walls around the castle, completely invisible to the untrained eye. This had unfortunately caused several nosebleeds, and after the fifth concussed student had fallen over her desk attempting to get to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey had gone on the warpath, armed with her wand and a detention slip, only to walk into one herself and end up being treated by her unwilling assistant, Professor Crabtree.

"I can't understand how they did it." Alice was saying admiringly, as they sat down at the breakfast table. She reached immediately for the bacon. "I mean, to get past all those prefects...and it's advanced magic, as well."

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes might be playing a helping hand." Murmured Catrin, glancing across the Hall to the Slytherin table, where Scorpius was sitting chatting with a few friends. It was the date of their first scheduled lesson, and she was feeling just a little bit nervous about it.

Valerie was, for once, sitting next to them, immersed in the Prophet. "Hey, you guys. Looks like Rodolphus is still on the loose. Creepy..." she shuddered theatrically. "But I bet he won't come to Hogwarts. Oh, and we have a Transfiguration practical today- turning a rat into a sugar mouse. Anne was saying...oh my god!"  
>"Was she?" Said Catrin, before an owl flew into her head. "Aargh!"<p>

Her hand flew up to try and ward off the sudden headache, though more than a little undignified swearing was involved before she was able to sit up straight again.

"What...in the name of...Merlin's neon...undergarments was that about?" She gasped.

"Er. Post!" Alice said cheerfully.

Looking around, Catrin saw that she was right: not one, but two owls were sitting there, one looking distinctly rumpled.

"I have post?" Catrin was so used to a lack of mail that she had rather given up on it, and tried not to look when other people received homemade cakes and sweets from their parents- Alice, Mary and Valerie included. She reached for the first, a handsome barn owl, who was bearing a letter with her name scratched on it in ink. This must be from Hestia Jones!

The second...

"This is for all of us!" Alice said enthusiastically, bending over. "'_With our compliments'_, it says...let's open it!"

Alarm bells started to ring in Catrin's head. "Alice, I don't think..."

"_Diffindo!" _

The box split open with a tearing sound, and they all leaned forwards. Nothing happened.

"Phew, maybe it was..."  
>Then, with a <em>bang, <em>a pair of sugar tongs leapt out of the box and attached themselves to Valerie's nose. Right on cue, she screamed, and starting thrashing around, causing half of the students in the Great Hall to spin around and start staring, awestruck.

Then, a butter knife, salt and pepper shakers, teapot and milk jug all rose out of the ruins of the wrapping. If anything could look menacing, these managed it.

Catrin and Alice stared at each other, horrified.

"Run!"

And with the teachers following after them, McGonagall in the lead, hair flying, the two girls pelted up the aisle, trying desperately to stay ahead of the offending cutlery. The Great Hall whipped past as they sprinted for the safety of the Gryffindor Tower, but Catrin could just make out the Slytherin table – McLaggen and Macnair in particular- jeering and splitting their sides as they raced away.

Somehow she didn't think that it was a coincidence.


	17. Chapter 16: Family and Friends

**Hey guys. Getting there, now...! Enjoy the chapter, I've tried to cram things in. Hope that doesn't make it any worse...anyway, read, review! :)**

* * *

><p>"Now, class, please sit down and be quiet. As those of you who have prepared will undoubtedly know, it is the Transfiguration Practical today." Professor Patil surveyed the first-years sternly from her vantage point in front of the desks, and then waved her wand. Several sets of cages picked themselves up, and zoomed towards each set of students, squeaking noisily. Inside were two pairs of sleek rats, and upon seeing them, quite a few girls screamed, Mary amongst them. Glancing surreptitiously around, Catrin noted that Michael Thomas was looking pale, and that Hugo Downsen's head had hit the edge of his desk in what seemed to be a dead faint.<p>

"Calm down, class, they're only rats! Mr Richards, please take Mr Downsen to the Hospital Wing and come straight back. He can perform the test later with Miss Fletcher- with a hamster, if that makes him feel better." Patil sighed impatiently. "Everyone, please open the cage, take a rat- don't be silly, they won't bite- and pass it along."

Catrin did as Patil said, retrieving a squirming, wriggling rat from the cage and plonking it down in one of the smaller ones that each student had been given. It sat at the bottom, glaring dolefully at her and baring little ratty teeth.

"How's Valerie?"

Catrin turned around to see Nicole Macmillan gazing at her, eyes worried. Slightly touched, Catrin explained that she should be fine. After sprinting from the hall, the girls had taken refuge behind a suit of armour until Professors McGonagall and Dawlish had arrived to wrestle the cutlery off the shrieking girls. Valerie was, even now, being treated by an irate Madam Pomfrey, who was having trouble persuading the sugar tongs to relinquish their grip on her nose. Catrin, meanwhile, was absolutely furious with James and Fred- she was sure it had been them, who else would perform a prank like that?- and had given them the full-on _sang froid _treatment since breakfast. Annoyingly, they didn't seem to have noticed yet, though a lot of whispering was going on- mostly about Rodolphus Lestrange. Catrin had read up on the Daily Prophet, and from what she could gather they were right to be worried. Lestrange had been sighted last week on the border to Scotland- not all that far from Hogwarts. She fervently hoped that the school was not on his check-in list.

"Miss Jones, please face the front!" Catrin jumped, blushed scarlet and turned to look at a fuming Professor Patil. It probably was best not to antagonize this teacher- Catrin generally made it a rule not to annoy people who could turn her into a toad with a flick of their wand.

"Sorry, miss."

"Be sure it doesn't happen again." The teacher waved her wand, and twenty pairs of rats simultaneously transformed into little rat-figurines. "Don't worry- animal transformations are much too advanced for first-years. Right, you know the incantation, and what to do- or you should, if you've been revising. Consider this a taste of how your summer exams will be. At present, you have thirty minutes to transform your prospective figurines into sugar mice, starting- _now_!"  
>Catrin gulped and eyeballed the porcelain. She'd been so caught up in the Disappearing Mug Crisis that she'd only skimmed her books on Small Object Transfigurations. Beside her, Alice was waving her wand and murmuring under her breath at her rat, whilst Mary looked as though she was copying everything that her friend did.<p>

The thirty minutes passed extremely quickly, and although the figurine eventually showed signs of crystallisation, Catrin couldn't rightly explain how its ears grew to the size of golf balls or why the rat started smelling, inexplicably, of cough sweets. Glancing around the room to see where everyone else had gotten to, Catrin was pleased to see that most of the rats, although transfigured into mice, were sporting some kind of deformity. James' in particular, she noted, had sported a pair of blood-shot, bulging eyes. Alice's was almost perfect, sadly, but her own wasn't too far behind the general standard, and when Patil called time, she was proud to hand in her sugary rodent for inspection, and leave with the rest of them.

"I don't think that went too badly, do you?" Mary said cheerfully as they wended their way towards the Great Hall. "A nice way to finish off the day, I reckon- hey, Catrin! Where are you going?"

"Err..." Catrin had neglected to tell the others about her upcoming lesson with Scorpius, and wasn't sure that she wanted to tell the others about it.

"I'm just..." She stammered... "I've got a lesson."

"No, Cat, lessons have just finished." Mary twisted a braid around her finger and cocked her head quizzically at her friend, who shifted uncomfortably.

"No. It's with a friend. He's teaching me some defensive spells."

"You could have just told me that Potter and Weasley have given in." Mary grinned. "That's great news, Cat! Can I come along?"

"It's not with Potter and Weasley."Catrin was sure she could fry an egg on her cheeks, they were so warm. "It's with Scorpius. Malfoy."

"_Malfoy?_ But he's a Slytherin!"

"Yes. I've gotta go now. See you!"

And ignoring Mary's spluttering, she sprinted in the opposite direction, up the marble staircase and towards the deserted classroom. It was still only five thirty, but she wanted somewhere where she could read Hestia's letter in peace, and without anyone else breathing down her neck. With perhaps the exception of Teddy, who was in a similar situation himself, Catrin wanted to keep this private.

Once inside, she glanced around, taking in the misted-up windows, stone walls and gloomy interior, and slung off her satchel, retrieving the slightly crumpled envelope, and sank onto the still-warm wooden seat. Anticipation and something suspiciously like hope had transfigured her stomach into a mass of quivering nerves. With shaking fingers, she broke the seal and unfolded the parchment.

_My dear Catrin_

_I don't know how you managed to find out about me, but can I say what a wonderful surprise it was to get your letter last month. I hope you'll forgive my lateness: I can only say that the Auror Office has been calling up its old employees lately and I've had a lot of work on my hands training new staff, although that's all I'm allowed to tell you!_

_Regarding your message, I can say that I do know a Gwendolyn Jones, or rather, did, as the dates of birth and death of your mother point the way to you being a relation of mine: my niece, to be precise. My sister, Gwendolyn Jones, was rather better known by most of the Wizarding World by her nickname, Gwenog, as she flew with the Welsh Quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies before suddenly leaving the team and, subsequently, the wizarding world. I do know that she was pregnant with you around this time; I don't know who the father is, or why she chose to give up magic after you were born, as I only met her a few times after your birth._

_I would love to meet you in person and find out a little more about you, as Gwendolyn lost touch with me soon after your birth, and I can easily arrange a time to come and see you during school time, if that makes it easier._

_Until then, _

_Your aunt,_

_Hestia_

A tear splashed onto the letter, staining the ink and creating a dark pool on the parchment. Catrin reached numb fingers up to her cheek, spreading the wetness underneath her eyes across her cheeks like some sort of mask. She didn't know what she felt; she didn't know what she should feel. Cautious happiness opened up inside her, like the unfurling petals of a flower, as she slowly began to absorb the information: she had an aunt! She was related to _somebody, _somebody who actually cared about her, and not somebody who had wanted to put her in an orphanage.

But it was the other thing that was hard to absorb: her mother, Gwendolyn Jones, being a fully fledged witch- more than a witch, in fact: Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies. She supposed that it was kind of ironic that she should be so scared of broomsticks...but that was beside the point. She'd started the year wanting to know who her father was, and had instead discovered a whole wealth of information about her mother. Why had Gwendolyn Jones given up the magical world after Catrin's birth? Could she have in fact stopped the cancer that had slowly claimed her life, and still be here today? Would she have stopped Catrin going to Hogwarts? Just how different would her life be if she was still alive?  
>Catrin would give anything to have her mother back, here, with her, magic or not.<p>

The single tear turned into a steady trickle as Catrin fought to gain composure, and lost, the lump in her throat too large to remove - just like Gwendolyn's cancer. Why? Why was she dead? Why hadn't she wanted to live for her daughter, and condemned her to a life on the streets?  
>"Erm- is this a bad time?"<p>

"What-"

Catrin jumped violently, upsetting the desk and falling headfirst onto the stone-flagged floor. She'd been so upset she mustn't have noticed time passing, but now when she glanced up between the thick black lines of her eyelashes she could see that the light had dimmed, and the torches outside were casting their flickering light over the outline of Scorpius Malfoy, who was standing, fidgeting with his wand at the entrance and looking extremely uncomfortable.

She jumped up, angrily swiping away tears. "No, no, it's alright, I'm fine. Is it six o'clock already?"

As if on cue, her stomach complained, growling angrily at her.

Scorpius, looking even more embarrassed, reached into his bag and withdrew a couple of rolls and an apple, causing Catrin to goggle at him. What kind of person carried spare bread in their bag?

"Er- your friend-" his mouth twisted in a wry smile "-ambushed me in the Entrance Hall and wanted to know why we had arranged lessons, and why I'd set it so you didn't have time to eat. So I took some food, for you. You know, only if you want it."

"Oh..." Catrin couldn't think of anything to say- she could only marvel at Mary's total lack of embarrassment and tact and at the fact that Scorpius had actually been thoughtful enough to bring food with him. She took it.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing." Even in the dim light, she could make out a faint blush staining his cheeks. To cover it, he waved his wand, igniting the torches in the classroom, and adopted a businesslike manner.

"You eat; I'll talk."

Catrin obeyed, watching as he went through the motions of _Rictusempra, _explaining where and when it could be used, along with the effects- apparently the spell had only grazed Catrin, and a fully-fledged _Rictusempra_ spell could give you a serious attack of the tickles. It was oddly soothing on her frayed nerves, sitting in a deserted classroom with a Slytherin, eating pilfered rolls and learning magic- though it was extremely satisfying when she started to teach him the basics of self-defence, drawing on what she could remember from judo lessons- she discovered that Scorpius was a patient learner, unlike some Gryffindors that she could mention.

"Your footwork's wrong, the legs should be positioned _here, _and _here._"

"I'm doing that."

"Oh, okay then. Right...what shall I do first? Making someone let go of you."

"Okay , sounds good."

"Right, say if someone had a hold of you, in a hand-grasping-arm kind of situation. If you have the other arm free, you can get a hold of their fingers and either bend them back, or jam your fingernail into the gap underneath _their _fingernails, like this..."

"OWWWW!"

"See?"

The lesson progressed extremely quickly, and it was with considerable surprise that she heard the bell in the Clock Tower chime seven. She dropped Scorpius' arm from where she had been twisting it behind his back, and turned to face him- he was red-faced and looked rather sore. She was, too- he was a fast learner and had managed to throw in a couple of punches during their mock fight.

"Right... same time, next week?"

"I'd rather have it sooner, but...alright." Scorpius sighed, stowing his wand back in his robes, even as she did the same.

"I'll need those defensive spells soon." She muttered, thinking of the other Slytherins, of the not-so-nice variety.

"What?"

"Oh...just Macnair, McLaggen. They like to test spells on people."

Scorpius frowned, in a mild reproach. "They're fine once you get to know them. You know, Slytherins are a lot like Gryffindors, only less ruled by their instincts and more ruled by their heads."

"I guess...but they've got something hidden, I know they have. They're connected to this disappearances thing, Rodolphus coming back. They've got something stashed in the 'Room of Reflections', wherever that is."

"My dad knew Rodolphus." Said Scorpius thoughtfully. "Not for long, though, and he says he didn't like him. He's not happy that he's loose, anyway."

And then-

"I've got some idea where Macnair, Bellamy and Nott go at night..."

Catrin spun round, hardly daring to believe it, and stared Scorpius full in the face.

"You do?"

"Yes..." There was a note of reluctance in the Slytherin's voice- loyalty to his housemates, she guessed. She could understand that, but she so badly wanted to know the information. She was prepared to beg, if necessary.

"Please, please tell me!"

"Er..."

"Scorpius, please! I won't tell them, honest! I just need to know...to...satisfy my curiosity that they're not doing anything bad."

"They're not!" Scorpius said sharply. "They're good people...okay, fine. Just this once. They go to a corridor on the seventh floor- there's a weird tapestry opposite of a wizard putting some trolls in a pair of ballet shoes. I'd better go now- got loads of homework to do. Next week, then?"

"Yup. See you!"

Catrin gathered her bags and made a beeline for the Common Room. She didn't know why the Slytherins went there, or what was there, but she knew some people who most definitely would.

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><p>"Hey, Catrin, you've been a while!" Alice greeted her with a wave as she came through the entrance to the Common Room- it was a special offer at the Three Broomsticks, apparently, and therefore most of the third year and above students had gone down to Hogsmeade to take full advantage of the opportunity. Therefore, all of the first-years, sadly including Slimy Creep, had managed to grab the best seats by the fire, and were sitting there, finishing their essays for Charms. The fire cast a flickering amber glow over all of their faces.<p>

"Oh, it's you." Slimy Creep clearly looked as enthusiastic as Catrin to be within a half-mile radius of each other. Catrin returned his sneer, and flumped down next to Alice, sinking into the sofa with a grateful sigh.

"Where have you been, Jones?" That was Fred. Catrin snuck a glance at Mary, who smiled angelically back. Clearly, Radio Jordan hadn't been broadcasting on all of the airwaves just yet- perhaps she'd been tactful enough to foresee the hammering Catrin would receive from the Troublesome Twins and the Slimy Sucker-Up.

"Erm...just in the library. But I've got a question that I need someone to answer." She lowered her voice and leaned forwards so that the few other Gryffies in the Common Room wouldn't notice or hear what was happening.

"Where on the seventh floor is there a tapestry of a wizard trying to put ballet shoes on trolls, and why is it important?"

Her statement was met with mostly confused looks, but, strangely, it was not Fred or George that answered, but Mary.

"Oh, yes! Barnabas the Barmy. The Room of Requirement's there- or at least, it used to be. Dad told me."

She proceeded to explain the situation to Catrin and the others.

Fred looked stunned. "How in Merlin's name have I not heard this from my dad? The supposed Prankmaster of Hogwarts. I'm sending him a Howler." He grumbled.

"Do you think...that this 'Room of Reflections'...you could ask for it from the Room? And it would open for you?" Catrin saw metaphorical lightbulbs pop up above Fred's, James' and Alice's heads.

"If it's still around." Mary shrugged. "Apparently your dad, James, destroyed it using some kind of weird fire thing."

Catrin looked around at the others and saw her expression mimicked in their faces- excepting Slimy Creep, who just looked perplexed. Good.

"What do you say to a little night-time excursion?"


	18. Chapter 17: Drama and Palavers

**Hello everyone! I'm back again! I've got to say, thank you so much for all of the reviews and comments- the lovely ones and the ones that help me to improve! They're really nice to have. So- here's another chapter. Enjoy...**

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><p>In the end, the night time excursion group boiled down to everyone except Valerie, who had muttered something about not wanting to break school rules, making James and Fred laugh.<p>

"School rules? Never heard of them- have you, James?"

"Doesn't ring a bell." James scratched his head in deep concentration. "Although it might explain why we keep getting invited to teacher's offices after lessons and being told to do boring tasks..."

"My dad sent me a note after getting my first not-detention." Fred said thoughtfully. "It said, 'Don't tell mum I wrote this, but you're obviously following the family tradition. We're proud of you.'"

"Aww...ickle Freddie got a note from his daddy...ow!" James' hand flew up to his head again, this time to rub the spot Fred had just hit. "Cool it, you freak!"

"Anyway," Slimy Creep (what was his real name? Catrin couldn't remember) butted in hastily, seemingly uncomfortable watching them. "How are we going to sneak out of the Common Room? The rest of Gryffindor will be coming back from Hogsmeade soon."

"Aaah...watch and all will be answered." James exchanged a knowing glance with Fred, who smirked.

Their cockiness rankled, but she didn't think she'd win a war of words against the two of them.

For the moment, they could do nothing but wait.

At last, when the rest of Gryffindor House had slowly emptied into their respective dormitories, and the fire had burnt itself down into blood-red embers, James slowly s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d, and suddenly sprang to his feet, lithe as a cat. A year or more of rough living meant that Catrin's eyes flicked open immediately, woken from her fireside doze, and she followed his lead.

"Alright, Kitty-Kat? Staring at mugs? Anyone would think you've been waiting for me to do that."

"Nope. Although I still don't know how we're going to avoid those prefects." Catrin yawned, clicking her finger-joints absent-mindedly.

"Hah. Admit it- I'm the chief prankster."

"In your dreams." Catrin said, stung. "And anyway, you still haven't apologised to us for that 'prank' you pulled in the Great Hall this morning."

"What prank? Genius as I am, I don't think I could pull off something without doing it. Useful trick, though."

"Don't beat around the bush! You enchanted that tea set- or at least, bought it from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." It was amazing how quickly someone could go from tired to furious- Catrin estimated that her transition had taken less than five seconds.

James looked her full in the face, deadpan serious. "I swear, Catrin Jones, that neither me, Fred or Benedict enchanted that tea set."

"Benedict?"

"You know, our friend. Benedict Umbridge."  
>" Slimy Creep?" Oh god, had she really said that? James' mouth fell open; he looked gobsmacked, and not a little hurt.<p>

"Alright?" Fred had just woken up, and took in the scene in front of him. "Have I missed something?"

Removing Slimy Creep- Benedict's- drooling head from his shoulder, he got up, sighing melodramatically.

"Oh well. We ready for the off, then?"

He then glanced around at the assembled droolers, snorers, and, in Valerie's case, twitchers, which constituted their group of friends.

"Aaah...maybe not."

"Let's just go." James' mood had switched too: he looked annoyed and irritable as he pulled his wand from his pocket and abruptly marched towards the portrait hole. Catrin glanced around the walls at the paintings, who were also slumbering in their frames, and then at Fred, who raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's up with James?" Fred muttered as they followed his angry footsteps down a staircase.

"Um...I forgot Sl- Benedict's name." Catrin glossed, anxiously fingering the smooth wooden surface of her wand. Already it was becoming a comfort thing.

"Ah. He's very protective of his friends." Fred looked uncomfortable, although when Catrin glanced at him the only thing she could see was the outline of his face and the faint glimmer of his eyes.

"I can see that. Hey, what's he doing?" James had stopped at a window, and was staring intently through it. The others hurried to catch up.

Catrin gazed through the glass panes, and at once she could see what was wrong. Figures were moving like ants in the grounds, around Hagrid's Hut, around the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and around the pathway leading up to the front doors.

Voices were drifting up from the tumult below them, clearly urgent.

"He went this way- I'm sure of it."

"Merlin's beard..."

"_Look out_!"

Instinctively, all three of them ducked- and just as well. An arc of gleaming white traced the sky like a comet, up and over their heads. An instant later, there was a BANG which, a second later, was followed by a minor earthquake, shifting the ground under their feet. Someone screamed; it was probably Catrin, but it was drowned as the window they had been staring out of shattered with a sound like a gunshot, spraying glass everywhere.

Terror blanked Catrin's mind; she acted purely on instinct, huddling on the ground in a small ball, next to Fred and James, until she was absolutely sure that the danger had past. Only then did she slowly, painfully, unlock her arms from around her legs and stare around. The window only had a few shards left in it, which were iced with a frosting of cracks. The rest created a gleaming floor which reflected the moonlight, and a pair of wide, grey eyes- her own- when she leaned over them.

"Uuugh." James and Fred had followed her lead, sitting up slowly and painfully. She saw that, like her, they'd survived her glass explosion with only minor cuts to the face and hands, and were, like her, looking stunned.

The terror was subsiding now, a weird exhilaration taking its place. Every sense was supercharged, and Catrin felt...really _alive, _somehow, like she was only really living after having escaped a hail of sharp missiles and an earthquake. She doubted that she'd inherited that from her mother's side- who was her father, to have passed on this aspect of character?

She grinned at the boys, who were looking just as awake as she was.

"What was that?" She exclaimed.

Fred lit the tip of his wand with a muttered _Lumos, _and James ran a hand through his spiked-up hair, seemingly unable to suppress a grin.

"Shall we go and see?"

As they sprinted full-pelt down the staircase, Catrin could hear shouts and cries as the other teachers, ghosts and students were awakened by the impromptu chaos. Several portraits shouted questions and accusations as they ran past, and one- a short knight on a fat pony- chased them several floors, shouting insults and challenges until his steed reared and chucked him into a barrel of wine that some monks were brewing. James laughed and waggled his fingers annoyingly, and the knight's curses followed them several corridors before being drowned out.

Finally, they reached the ground floor, and stopped on the staircase, heaving for breath.

"Blimey." Fred panted. "All that treacle sponge they keep feeding us has seeped into my muscles."

Catrin didn't have any breath to laugh, so just nodded, a searing stitch in her side. Castle living had definitely made her lazier.

"What...about...you, James?" The other two glanced around to see James spread-eagled against the floor. At first Catrin laughed, but when she got closer she could see that he wasn't wheezing- not even slightly.

"Fred." She called, her stomach suddenly sinking to somewhere near her feet. "Something's wrong with James."

Fred drew closer, not showing any signs of panic yet, and hunkered down next to his friend, shining the light from his wand into his eyes. They contracted slightly. Fred then proceeded to check James' pulse, with an efficiency that told Catrin he had had to do this before.

"He's alive." He announced to his fellow first-year- that statement was accompanied with a great wave of relief, which surprised her. She didn't think she'd liked James Potter much, but obviously something about his cockiness appealed.

Fred then followed that up with "But he's been cursed. Petrified, I'd say. That's weird...I didn't notice anybody around."

"Does he need help?" Stupid question, but her nerves were getting to her. It was no surprise when Fred nodded. "Pretty sharpish. But we'll have to go and see something down there-" here he nodded his head towards where the shouts of the wizards were echoing "-because he needs to have the curse reversed, and I can't do that yet."

"Okay." Catrin took a deep breath; forced herself to be calm. He wasn't dead, he just needed help. Risking detention was really the least that she could do. "Are you staying with him?"

"There's nothing I can really do." Fred stood up quickly, and started hastily down the staircase. "Coming?"

"Yes." Catrin joined him as they jogged towards the entrance hall. "You looked like you knew what you were doing back there."

"I do." Fred hesitated, and then grinned. "My dad experiments on himself a lot- you know, for the joke shop. Sometimes he knocks himself out cold. So I have to check he's alright- and he is, most of the time."

"That sounds dangerous...oh my god!" They had turned the corner into the entrance hall- or what was left of it. A great hole had been blasted in the brickwork, scattering rubble everywhere, and denting the huge wooden doors of the Great Hall. Through it, they could see the grounds, the black midnight sky, and the mass of wizards milling around like a swarm of ants.

"Aurors." Fred said quietly to Catrin. "Dark wizard catchers."

Catrin felt a chill as she stared down at the cloaked figures, many of them gesticulating wildly or huddled together in groups. Dark wizard catchers? She could only think of one dark wizard that they'd want to catch.

"What d'you reckons happened?" She asked Fred, but before he could reply, a dark shape detached itself from the crowd, hurrying towards them with quick, sure footsteps. As they drew closer, Catrin felt a thrill of disbelief upon seeing Harry Potter's angry face looming down on them

"What the _hell_," he said quietly, "do you two think you're doing down here?"

Fred blanched white, and Catrin couldn't blame him. At his angriest, Mr. Potter was a fearsome sight, and his story went before him.

"We were looking for help." She blurted out before Fred, wanting to escape his glare. "Because James is hurt."

"James?" His father's vivid eyes widened, anger visibly draining out of him. "What-how? Why?"

"He's been petrified- Fred thinks. Er- we don't know who did it."

Harry sagged for a moment- and then straightened his back. "Right- you two wait here. I'm coming."

He strode back into the throng of wizards, exchanged a few brief words with one of them, and then hurried back. "Show me where he is."

They practically ran back up the passageway, and when James' prone body came into view, Harry sped up to a flat-out sprint, falling to his knees next to him and going through the same motions as Fred.

"Petrified." He muttered in a tone of relief. "This won't take a second..."

There was a flash of white light, and their friend's rigid limbs jerked like a puppet's, and then fell limply to the floor, accompanied by a fit of coughing. They all leaned forwards- Catrin suspected her eyes were as wide as Fred's (who was doing a good impression of a bush baby).

"Dad?" James croaked. "Or is it Grandad? Nice to meet you. I hope you put in a good word with Saint Peter."

"No, it's dad." Mr Potter rocked backwards on his heels, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Oh...dad? Why are you here?" James pushed himself upwards, staring into his father's drawn face. "Why am I here?"

"You were petrified, son. Do you remember who did it?"

"Er..." James looked around, blinking. "Oh, hi, you two. No...I saw a dark shape running up the side-corridor. I lit my wand- I want to have a look at who they were- but they saw me, and...I guess they got me."

"Merlin's beard..." Harry muttered, running his hand through his hair. "Wait here." He leapt to his feet, and ran back the way that they'd came. James looked confusedly after him, and then at the others.

"Wow. I didn't think our little adventure'd end like this."

"Me neither." Said Catrin fervently. "But... I kind of enjoyed it. Not you getting petrified, of course." She added hastily.

"Don't lie." Fred grinned. "What did it feel like?"

"I...didn't feel anything. I just blacked out, and then my dad was staring at me. Why's he here?"

"Someone just blasted a hole into the side of the entrance hall." Fred informed him.

"_What_?" James' eyes widened, but before he could say anything, his father was back, panting, a panicked look in his green eyes.

"Okay. I got Ron on it. I'd better get you away before anybody figures out that you were here." He reached out a hand and yanked James to his feet. "I anticipate detentions every weekend until the end of the year."

"Who broke into Hogwarts, Dad?" James ignored his father's last comment.

"We think...Rodolphus Lestrange." Mr Potter sighed.

"_Him_?" The world slipped out before Catrin could stop herself, and she felt her face twist into an expression of disgust. Everyone turned to look at her, and she saw Harry's face tighten with something that looked an awful lot like recognition- that was strange.

"What else?"

"Come on. I'll tell you on the way back to the Common Room...actually, I'll get Teddy and Victoire to come and meet us- they'll take you from halfway." Harry raised his wand, and closed his eyes. A moment later, a gigantic silver creature leapt from the tip, and cantered up the staircase, leaving a trail of mist behind. Catrin's eyes widened even further. What had _that _been? "There." He set off, striding after it.

"Locked up again." Catrin muttered.

"It's better to be locked up than face Lestrange." Mr Potter turned and looked at the first-years.

But again, he didn't meet her eyes. Catrin frowned.

Who did she remind him of so badly?


	19. Chapter 18: Tribulation and Revelation

**Hey guys. Just a quick note, seeing as I got a charming review earlier (sob!). I've gotta say, I love writing this story, but it is a work in progress and so there are bound to be errors. If you see any, please tell me so I can correct them and get the story to make more sense so it'll be even better! **

**In any case, answers to the review if Dave's still reading: 1) Corrected! 2) Catrin got the information from other children, who haven't grown up with Voldemort and obviously aren't scared of saying his name. Cheers, mate! Everyone else, enjoy! :)  
><strong>

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><p>Mr Potter led them up the stairs at a fast trot, and although he repeatedly assured them that everything was 'going to be fine', Catrin couldn't help but feel a kind of lurking foreboding in her stomach. If a Death Eater was in the castle, things were most decidedly 'not fine'. In fact, on the freak-out scale, she'd be reaching a ten pretty soon.<p>

In desperate need of a distraction, she decided that couldn't stand another one of Mr Potter's comments. She wanted information about Rodolphus Lestrange- at least they'd know what they'd be up against.

"Mr Potter." She said loudly, cutting across the silence. "Who _is _Lestrange?"

Harry turned to look at her, surprised. For a moment he was quiet, as though gathering his thoughts, and then he heaved a deep sigh.

"He's a former Death Eater. He was in Voldemort's inner circle before he was killed, and he enjoyed it a little too much. He killed people...he disappeared for two years, actually. Managed to avoid capture from Azkaban for a couple of years...nobody knew where he went, but there were some deaths. " Here Harry's voice trailed off, as though remembering fallen colleagues- or friends.

"Not a nice guy, then." James paraphrased. "Dad, you've never told us about him! Not even when Al begged you to tell us Death Eater stories!"

"He was a monster." Harry stated baldly. "And his wife was even worse... she killed...she." He swallowed again, Adam's apple bobbing vigorously in his throat. "Bellatrix Lestrange killed my godfather."  
>"She killed Sirius? I thought he died of old age." Fred mumbled to himself, twisting a coppery lock around his finger absently.<p>

"No." Harry didn't meet anyone's eyes at that point, not just Catrin's. "No, he didn't. Sadly. I don't even know how he died."

"From what you've told us, I bet he was a real hero." Fred said enthusiastically, getting out his wand and swishing it about. "He faced the enemy with a smile on his lips."

Catrin couldn't let that one go. "What, like this?" She bared her teeth in a battle grimace, brandishing her own wand at the other three. Fred and James laughed; Harry's eyes widened and he looked away. Catrin instantly felt awful.

"Sorry." She apologized, cheeks flaming up. "I didn't mean to insult his memory."

"What?" Harry looked around vaguely, shook his head. "No, no..." Then he straightened his spine and suddenly he was Mr Potter again. "Come on, we need to get you back to the Common Room."

"Grnghugh." James grumbled as he trotted alongside his father. "I want to see some _action." _

"Not today." His father corrected him firmly. "Ah, there's Teddy."

Sure enough, a star of light could be seen in the darkness, which was rapidly drawing closer. Suddenly, Teddy's blue head and Victoire's blonde one could be seen. The two quickly stepped away from each other as Mr Potter approached, looking nervous. Catrin noticed, despite everything, that they were trying to hide their hands from view, and hid a secret smile.

"Ah, Teddy, Victoire. Please could you put this lot to bed? Deduct some points, grant detention. The usual. And then stand guard in the Common Room-" Here his voice lowered dramatically "- as Rodolphus has managed to get inside the Castle."

Victoire looked alarmed, and raised her wand higher, as though she could spot the Death Eater with her Lumos spell. Teddy raised his eyebrows, and gestured towards the children. "Come on, then." He said, not exactly unkindly, but looking sterner that Catrin had ever seen him. The children followed, having the grace to look uncomfortable as their Head Boy led them towards the common room.

"Right-seventy points from Gryffindor, and four weeks' worth of detentions, all of you." Teddy said firmly as the portrait hole came into view. "I can't believe that you'd wander around the castle, and on a night like this! You're lucky it wasn't more."

Catrin balked at the absurdly high amount, and shared a horrified glance with Fred and James, as they stopped outside the entrance. Wait until the other Gryffindors found out who had lost them all those rubies from the hour glass in the Great Hall!

"Out for a late night stroll?" The Fat Lady ruffled her skirts, glaring down her long nose.

"Something like that. Abcedarian." Teddy muttered the password, and then led the disgraced three to the fireside, where- Catrin noticed with a sinking feeling- their friends were sitting, watching with wide eyes. "Right. You can sit here, but not go out of the Portrait Hole- me and Victoire are going to be standing guard outside it. Goodnight." Victoire nervously fingered her shiny Prefect's badge, and followed Teddy's march back out of the Portrait Hole, leaving Catrin, Fred and James under the scrutiny of their friends.

Mary broke the silence. "What _happened_?" She cried. "We woke up and you were gone. And then the castle started shaking! What did you do? We were terrified!"

Haltingly, and with many pauses, the story of their anti-adventure was told. Whilst Slimy Creep and Valerie seemed impressed, and Alice shocked, Mary had suddenly paled, her round eyes gazing fearfully at them as James related the tale of Rodolphus' entrance and his attack, with quite a bit of relish.

"Oh..." She faltered, hands twisting nervously in her lap. "He's...in the castle?"

"Yup." James flumped down into the seat that he had vacated just an hour before. "This place wants a kitchenette- I need a tea."

"Mary?" Alice asked, concerned. Catrin saw that she was as white as a sheet. "What's the matter?"

"Oh...nothing." Mary attempted a smile, which came out more like a grimace. "Just...tired." She gave a huge fake yawn. "I'll be off to bed now, if you don't mind."

She sprang up with remarkable quickness for someone who was near fainting point, and made to skip off to the dormitories. Without realising what she was doing, Catrin's arm shot out and she grabbed her friend by the hand, using momentum to swing Mary back into her seat like some kind of puppet.

"Mary. You need to tell us what happened with Macnair." Catrin didn't know where her firm words were coming from, but enough was enough- they needed to find out what made her so terrified, and she had a shrewd idea that it was something to do with the Macnair/Suit of Armour/ Embarrassing Plant Incident.

"Woah." Slimy Creep started, goggling at her. "I think Mary's just tired."

"Shut up, _ymennydd pin_!" She exclaimed, unleashing her frustration. "Mary, if something's up with Rodolphus then it might have something to do with the missing people! We've got to help them- you don't have to do anything, there are a whole lot of dark wizard catchers downstairs! And could you live with yourself if you knew they were dead?"

Mary said nothing, but stared at the fire, the whites of her eyes glinting like glass in the dim light.

"Mary, are you a Gryffindor or not?"

That got a reaction- she started up, eyes suddenly blazing. "Alright, fine! Fine! I was going back from Charms to the Great Hall, and then I spotted McLaggen, Macnair- them and a whole load of Slytherins. They were going up to the Seventh Floor. I knew that you were interested in what they were doing...they looked a bit...creepy. So I thought, why not show off? I followed them up to the seventh floor- that tapestry with Boris- Barnabas- the Barmy. Then they kind of- pulled a body out of thin air."

"_What_?" The group chorused, Catrin amongst them. The air thickened perceptibly with tension. Mary sat back in her seat in an almost relaxed way- she seemed to have gone beyond terror. "Yeah, that's what it looked like. Then this one Slytherin walked up and down, and a door materialised out of thin air. They dragged the body inside. Then...McLaggen saw me. He was keeping guard." Mary broke off in her story to gulp slightly. "He chased me, and then said that I'd be the next to go. He was going to get me..." She broke off, and let out a shaking sob. A couple of tears raced each other down her cheeks, and she pulled her legs up and buried her face in her knees. Alice and Valerie reached over and cautiously patted her on the back, making soothing noises.

"I'm sorry..." Catrin said awkwardly, trying to battle her guilt. That was the second time this night she'd put her foot in it.

"It's okay." Mary's muffled voice came from her knees. "I'll just hope that you guys get to deal with them first."

Catrin thought about the 'pulling a body from thin air', certain vanishing potions...and then a sudden, industrial-size lightbulb clicked into being above her head. "_Diw._" She breathed. "_Y pobl sy'n diflannu..._the people who disappeared!"  
>"Merlin's..." Fred obviously couldn't think of a swearword bad enough. "We've got to tell someone where Rodolphus is going- maybe they can head him off at the pass."<p>

"Teddy's at the door!" Alice cried, jumping to her feet.

"Then let's go and tell Teddy!" James led the sprint to the Portrait Hole, leaving Mary behind and ignoring the bangs coming from the dormitories. Their shouting had obviously woken someone up.

But when they pushed the portrait open, they saw a blank canvas and a crumpled shape at its foot, spilling vibrantly blonde hair like a carpet across the stone-flagged floor.

"Victoire..." James groaned, following his cousin over. "Oh my god..."

"She's alive!" Fred called from his crouch. "Looks like she was hit with the same spell as you, James. I think Teddy must have taken off after whoever came this way- I think Rodolphus must've gotten a bit lost."

"What are we going to do?" Slimy Creep was standing trembling just inside the Common Room, not displaying the qualities one might expect in a Gryffindor.

"We'll have to go and find someone." Alice spoke up firmly. "Maybe we can follow Teddy- help, you know."

"Okay. Drag Victoire inside the Common Room- she'll be safe there and someone will find her." James seemed to have taken control, which was good, because Catrin was feeling more than a little lost. Whilst Slimy Creep and Valerie hastened to do as he said, James turned to the other three.

"Alright. We've only been in the Common Room for about ten minutes. So I don't reckon Rodolphus has gotten to the Room yet."

"Run for it?" Alice asked lightly, drawing her wand in one fluid movement.

James nodded. "Yup."

And as the other two peered out of the Common Room, Fred, Catrin, James and Alice sprinted off towards the seventh floor.

* * *

><p>They arrived, panting and slightly out of breath, ten minutes later.<p>

Fred leaned against the stone, mopping his forehead with his sleeve. "I didn't get enough sleep to be doing this twice in one night."

Catrin agreed with him- she was sitting on the floor, staring at Barnaba's foolishly hopeful face on the weaving opposite. Foolishly hopeful probably described their situation at this moment, too.

"I told you we should have put Pepper-Up Potion in all the Gryffindor's drinks this morning!" James mumbled from next to him. "But we had to content ourselves with Dawlish."

"The _teacher_?" Despite everything, Catrin was intrigued.

"Yeah. He was literally bouncing off the walls. McGonagall had to conjure up a straightjacket for him. Revenge is best served...ultra-caffeinated." Fred allowed himself an indulgent grin, before turning his attention to the matter at hand. "Right. Alice, do you wanna do this?"

"Well, no-one else is here..." Alice glanced around, and nodded. "Then I'll wait here for someone to come. Or I'll just run and see if I can bang into someone."

She stood up, and began pacing in front of the wall, muttering to herself under her breath again and again, while the others waited and tried to retrieve their breath from wherever it had fled.

After her seventh walk, a door materialised in the stonework, the polished wood gleaming like metal. Alice stopped, and turned to face them.

"This is it."  
>"Indeed." James grinned. "It's been a pleasure knowing you, Longbottom. Though in future, I'd change the name."<p>

"Likewise. Except for the name." Alice offered a smile in return, and spun around and sprinted back the way they'd come.

"Good luck, everyone." James turned his attention to the other two. "If we get through this, I'd buy you a beer- but I'm underage, so you suckers won't be getting anything off me."

"Idiot." Fred said fondly, smacking his cousin around the head. "Okay. Let's go."

He turned the door, and they stepped inside.


	20. Chapter 19: The Drama Unfolds

The light on the other side of the door was blinding. Catrin squinted her eyes against the sudden glare, as, with Fred and James, she inched into the Room of Requirement. What was lurking behind the whiteness? She tensed herself ready for action. All they had to do was hold the fort until the Alice came back with reinforcements.

As her eyes adjusted, she could begin take in the fantastic sight around her, and she goggled in amazement. The room was easily the size of the Entrance Hall, but hexagonal, lined all around with floor-to-ceiling mirrors which reflected the light from the torches in the brackets a thousandfold. There were some dark shapes clustered in the centre of the room, and Catrin realised with an electrifying jolt that they were the stiff and unseeing bodies of the disappeared people- Deadalus Diggle stared out at her, accompanied by Mrs Thomas and Maria Creevey- or so she thought. Then- just next to them, she saw a shape lying on the floor.

His vivid hair gave him away as Teddy Lupin, and there were several cloaked men- like the ones that had been there at Diggle's disappearance- standing around him. She heard James and Fred suck in breaths, and knew that they had seen their friend too.

"Had enough, blood traitor?" She made out one of the snarling voices. "Werewolf scum!"

Teddy coughed, his body convulsing against the floor. "Go...to...hell."

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that." Cackled a voice from the head of the group. "I've waited fifteen years for this, and it's going to be as drawn-out as possible." The man raised his wand.

"Cruc-"

"No!" James shouted, leaping forwards and blasting a spell of his own at the men. It seared towards them, hitting one square in the back. He shuddered once, and collapsed to the floor, feelers springing out from the back of his robes.

"Ah, visitors!" The other wizards shouted in confusion, spinning around to see the new visitor, but one of them seemed completely calm. Catrin recognised the scarred face and greying head of Rodolphus Lestrange, and felt fear explode in the pit of her stomach as he walked towards them.

"Who's this? Can it be...Potter's brat?" He smiled, and somehow that was even worse than a scowl.

"I hadn't hoped for this...two at once! And..." He surveyed the rest of the group. "Another blood traitor, and a mudblood!"

"Don't say that!" Another of James' spells blistered towards Rodolphus, whose shield charm was summoned just in time to prevent him being hit. The spell dissipated into purple wisps on the air, but the smile was gone now, and upon looking closer, Catrin recognised in his eyes an attitude she'd seen many times on the streets- a man who had nothing to lose, who had gone mad.

A man who would do anything to get what he wanted.

"Potter's brat..." He mused. "Weasley's...Lupin's as well...all I need is Black's."

"What?" Catrin blurted, trying to divert him in any way possible. "Why?"

Lestrange seemed almost surprised by her question, and- thank god- willing to go off on a tangent. "Justice. Those three made my life hell in Hogwarts. They're all gone now, but they've injured my family. The Weasleys killed my Bella. Potter brought down the Dark Lord-" here his mouth twisted "-Black was a traitor to the Noble House of Black, and Lupin was subhuman...worse than a muggle. And he dared to have a child!"

Behind them, there was a scuffle as Teddy attempted to reach for his wand and curse Rodolphus all the way to Hell and back, but was stunned by another wizard. Catrin ground her teeth; she hated seeing her friend treated like scum, but there wasn't much she could do to stop it with Rodolphus in the way.

"But Black didn't have a child!" Yelled James. "You've failed, Lestrange! They're going to catch you! Hogwarts! Hah! What a stupid choice of hideout!"  
>The creepy smile was back on Lestrange's face. "Yes. He did."<p>

"I think I'd know-"

"But you don't."

Catrin sensed something monumentous on the way, and willed James to shut up. Tension charged the air like static electricity, and she didn't want any stray sparks to ignite the atmosphere and injure them. Apparently they were going to find out something about this mysterious Black person, who'd been so important to both Harry Potter and Lestrange.

"The only good egg in a bad family..." That rang a bell. What had Mr Potter been saying before about her family?

"But a notorious womanizer. It wasn't a surprise that whilst he was tainting the name of Black, he accidentally fathered a child on someone... Marlene McKinnon. We soon sorted her out." He smiled with vicious satisfaction. "Along with her family. But we don't know what happened to the child. Just as well, really. He's probably dead too." His face darkened, putting Catrin in mind of gathering storm clouds. "He'd better not be...the only thing that keeps me going is revenge."

James didn't seem willing to say anymore, and neither was Fred. They were probably trying to digest the knowledge that the hero of Harry Potter's stories had a secret, one that Mr Potter had possibly kept from them.

Meanwhile, Catrin was looking past Lestrange at the activity behind them. The minions- that was an appropriate name, all things considering- moved around, lighting even more torches and pushing Teddy into the centre of the room, now bound up. The be-feelered man had been shoved unceremonially into the corner of the room, and was lying there twitching to himself.

"Now." Rodolphus said suddenly, causing them all to jump. His tone was worryingly businesslike- Catrin could see behind the facade of normality, and she didn't like what was lurking there. Fifteen years in Azkaban must have driven him absolutely mad.

But she was snapped out of her analysis by his next words.

"I'm going to have to kill you."

James yelped; Fred gasped "What?"

"I would say 'no hard feelings' but there are. Anyway, I can't let you stand in the way of what I'm about to do. See these mirrors?" He gestured to the gleaming surfaces covering the walls. "They've been designed to specially reflect all types of light- and magic. Cast a spell at one of these, and they'll reflect, and intensify with each reflection." He even sounded proud. "Once Potter and the others come through the doors, they'll be blown sky-high, and the rest of this godforsaken school with it. That'll be most of the Order of the Phoenix gone in one fell swoop."

"I don't see why you couldn't just kill them." Catrin spoke out loudly. "Forgive me for thinking it's a teensy bit melodramatic."

"Me? Against them?" Lestrange actually laughed. "They're far too skilled. This gets rid of all of them at once, and then the Dark Arts will be unhindered once more! Those Death Eaters you see behind me are all ready to attempt that. Right. The Mudblood first."

Before she knew what was happening, a Death Eater Minion had marched up behind her and was seizing her arms firmly, dragging her towards Rodolphus.

One of the first things that Catrin had picked on the streets was that if you were attacked, you had to start fighting immediately, otherwise you'd had it. Now, in the arms of the Death Eater Minion, she snarled, jumped up to headbutt his chin, and kicked out, hitting a rather unfortunate place where the DEM was concerned. He let out a shriek which would have shamed a soprano singer and let go of one arm, scrabbling for his wand. Catrin quickly swiped that around and raked her nails across his face, trying to draw blood. She hit the floor, and fumbled for her own wand, all the time glancing around for any kind of danger. She dimly registered Fred and James attempting to attack Rodolphus as he watched her...But-

"My, my, what a wildcat!"

Her wand soared out of her hand, and as she watched, stunned, it landed neatly in Lestrange's outstretched palm, along with the other two's. She felt a pang of betrayal as her only weapon deserted her, and then Catrin slowly became aware that she couldn't move- he had hit her with some kind of body binding Curse. She was as helpless as a rat in a trap, and could do nothing as he slowly approached, gazing at her with more interest than before, whilst behind her, the man she had attacked cursed and spat something that she fervently hoped was blood.

"Not just a Mudblood, I see..." He said slowly, scrutinising her face carefully. "Do I recognise you? Can it be...?"

"Get-off-her...you snake-lover!" Fred ground out the words through gritted teeth –he too had been jinxed- causing the Death Eater to casually swing around and point his wand at his face. Horrified, Catrin watched as a line of red slowly traced itself across his cheek, brighter than his coppery hair. Fred didn't cry out-didn't do anything- but she saw a tear slip down to join the blood which was slowly oozing across his features, and felt hatred for his tormentor bubble up in her like lava.

Rodolphus turned back, as though nothing had happened. Then his eyes fell upon Catrin's necklace, which had slipped out from under her top during the scuffle, and they widened until a circle of white could be seen around the muddy iris. He stepped forwards until he was offensively close, and Catrin had to suppress a flutter of panic. She couldn't move! What happened if he decided to hurt her like he had Fred? What could she do?  
>"Where...did you get that?" He traced a gnarled finger along the pearls, eventually settling on the silver disc with the crest stamped on it. Catrin suddenly found that her face was able to move again, though she didn't say anything. Stubbornly, she decided not to give him the satisfaction.<p>

"That's my Bella's crest...that belongs to the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black! You...thief! How dare you sully its name with your dirty blood! _How dare you_?"

He raised his wand and Catrin, looking terrified into his eyes, knew that this was it- crunch time. He'd lost his mind, and she was in the firing line. There was no way to escape it. She stared at his crooked nose and sunken eyes, thinking that they'd be the last thing she ever saw..._Diw, _now that was a depressing thought in itself.

The door to the Room of Reflections flew open with a bang, and everyone jumped.

"Dad!" James ground out happily. "You'r'ere!"

"Get your hands off them!" Mr Potter roared from behind Catrin, sounding more frightening than she'd ever heard him. She strained to see something, anything, but to no avail. Rodolphus, thankfully, let out a roar of fury and agony, switching his gaze to the welcome intruders.

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO COME YET!" He screamed. "I'LL KILL YOU- I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" And then he- and his DEM's-in-waiting (who looked at each other uneasily before setting off after him) charged. Shouts and bangs echoed from wall to wall as the wizards clashed, and already cries of pain could be heard as the first casualties were sustained.

Then the world went flying as Catrin was hit was a rogue spell. It felt like the hand of some large, invisible monster had reached down, picked her up and chucked her unceremoniously across the room. She skidded along the polished marble floor like a bowling ball, watching the world spin around her at a dizzying speed, until she crashed into one of the mirrors with an ear-shattering bang, knocking the breath out of her lungs and sending silvery spikes raining down onto her body.

She wheezed for a moment, before reflexively pushing herself up into a sitting position! The spell had gone- probably shorted out by the collision! A sudden rush of joy, despite everything, was most definitely called for.

But the first thing she saw when her eyes finally focussed themselves was that the battle was still raging, and blood spattered the mirrored walls. Rodolphus Lestrange was clearly visible, fighting like a madman- which he was, of course-against two Aurors: Mr Weasley and, oddly, Dawlish, although as she watched, Dawlish was hit by a bolt of blue, which picked him up and slammed him against- and through- the doorway into the seventh-floor corridor. Lestrange then sent another neon curse at Ron, who ducked, and the curse ricocheted off the mirrored surface.

Catrin's foggy brain registered this with a dawning horror. How the mirrors hadn't been hit before was a miracle; now they were all in danger of getting fried by the Death Eater's idiocy. She stumbled to her feet, and forced herself to stagger across the floor to the centre of the room, where her, Fred's and James' wands had been thrown when the battle commenced. Her legs gave way once she reached it, and she eventually closed her fingers around the smooth wood of her wand with a sense of extreme gratitude.

The air was thickening now; there was a smell like burning ozone as the smell ricocheted off the walls, its beam growing more and more intense with each reflection. Several people- Aurors and Death Eater alike- had stopped to stare at the firework display, only to be dispatched by their opponents.

Mr Weasley became one of these when he glanced upwards momentarily- and was socked by a stunning spell which tossed him ignominiously into the centre of the room, mirrored a thousand times by his reflection and narrowly missing the rogue spell. Lestrange gave his wand a little shake, and then charged for Harry Potter, who was finishing off the last couple of Death Eaters, completely absorbed in his task as his wand gracefully spun and twirled in the air.

He was unprepared. He was going to die.

As Rodolphus charged, Harry dispatched the last DEM with a complicated little motion that caused him to turn beetroot red and collapse. Too late, he turned to see the final supporter of Voldemort bearing down on him, the murder in his eyes reflecting the spell above him.

"_Rictusempra!" _Catrin screamed, pointing her wand at him and praying for all she was worth. The bolt of purple light blistered through the air, hitting a bulls-eye on Lestrange's chest. He looked at her, almost surprised, as the light scooped him up, and threw him violently against the wall. He hit the mirror with a _crack. _

It looked extremely painful.

He hung there, absurdly suspended in the air for a few seconds- and then the jet of neon slammed into him, eclipsing his body in a violent supernova which rocked the castle just like his spell had done earlier. The blinding flash lit up the whole room, and she covered her face, eyes streaming. It looked like he was doing something similar to ascending to heaven- but of course the irony here was that he was probably going the opposite way.

As the party watched, fascinated, she became dimly aware of a DEM standing up behind her, though her foggy brain was slow to register the fact. Was he aiming his wand at her?

She turned in slow-motion, and saw the twisted face of McLaggen glaring hatred like daggers as he loosed the final spell at her.

It was knocked from the air by a stunner.

Weak kneed with relief, she turned towards the doorway and saw Scorpius Malfoy, dressing gowned and slippered, holding his wand proudly.

His face was the last she registered before the world snapped into darkness.


	21. Chapter 20: The Aftermath

**Heya. Another chapter; read and enjoy (And review!)**

Catrin was back in the Room of Requirement again, but this time, she was talking to a young man, whose dark hair fell in waves around his face as he laughed, eyes dancing in his handsome face. As she watched, he grew grey and gaunt, lines drawing themselves across his face in a map and cheeks caving into hollows. She watched, unable to tear herself away from his withering body, as with a snarl, Rodolphus lunged at her.

"Aah!" She screamed, sitting bolt-upright in her bed.

Her yell was echoed by the dozen or so people sitting around her. She glanced around wildly, taking in the light shining through the windows, which was daylight, and the rows of neatly ordered, pristine beds. She was in the Hospital Wing, and the shocked faces of James, Fred, Alice, Scorpius, Mr Potter and Alice. She swallowed slowly, suddenly aware of her aching muscles and throbbing head.

"_Pam...pam ydw i..._why am I here?" Her tongue was decidedly fuzzy, though her cheeks still flamed up at the language slip.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure that you noticed your spectacular face-plant with the wall." James piped up flippantly. "Or maybe you were demonstrating your frankly magnetic love? Catkin, I don't know how to say this...but a wall is not likely to return those deep and complicated feelings."

"James!" His father elbowed him, grinning, before returning his attention to her, the invalid. "Well, as James so neatly summed up...you did crash into a mirror, Catrin. Concussion, some nasty head wounds...it was a miracle you managed to stand up at all, let alone aim a spell accurately. And the fact that Madam Pomfrey was close by to help heal was a godsend."

Now that James had mentioned it, the battle in the Room of Reflections came flooding back with a vengeance, making her poor brain ache all the more. She cast a fresh eye over her visitors: James and Scorpius, though keeping a wide distance between them, looked fine, Mr Potter a little rumpled and dusty and Fred had a thick purple gunk over the cut Lestrange had given him. The other visitor, Alice, looked extremely fresh compared to the rest of the wizards.

"How...what happened after I fainted?" She asked. "How's Teddy? And what happened to Lestrange?"

Alice smiled with the satisfaction of one who has seen her grandparents' torturer brought to justice.

"Lestrange is dead." She said happily. "Or if not, so badly burnt he can never escape Azkaban ever again. I've told Dad."  
>"How did he take it?"<p>

"He cried." She said softly. "But he's happy. He's gone off to St. Mungo's now."

Catrin couldn't think of anything to say, so changed the subject quickly. "And Teddy? And the frozen people?"

"Woah!" Harry laughed, holding up both hands. "Teddy's absolutely fine. He did come to see you, but then went to see Victoire and make sure she was alright." He broke off to smile slightly. "All the petrified- Diggle, Thomas, Creevey- they've been returned to their families. Unfrozen, I should say."

Catrin sighed in relief, and relaxed slowly back into the pillows. She hadn't realised how responsible she'd felt for all of those people until she'd been reassured that they were safe. Harry glanced around at her friends, who were grinning at each other with triumph at their endeavour.

"I was going to save to save this for later, but I _can't believe _how stupid-"

"-ly brave you were. You deserve a medal." Interjected Fred quickly, raising eyebrows at his uncle. "And I promise never to say that you were stupid in running into a room full of ex-Death Eaters."

"What-no!" Sputtered Harry. "You were stupid!"

"That's how we roll, father." James grinned lazily, leaning back in his chair. "Anyway, if it wasn't for us, you could have been fried by now. Instead, Lestrange has ended up medium-rare."  
>"Get out!" Harry slapped his son's shoulder affectionately. "Catrin probably needs her rest. You'll need sleep and food as well. Scat!"<p>

Fred and Alice made a face, but followed the younger Potter out of the door with a wave. Scorpius, who had been silent until now, grinned cautiously at Catrin, who returned his smile without any hesitation.

"Thank you for intervening." She said quietly. "Otherwise I'd have hit the wall again."

"No problem. Hey- you owe me now!" Scorpius looked pleased with himself. "You're going to have to have another lesson with me to pay that off."

"I'd have done it anyway." Catrin said honestly, pushing a dark curl out of her face. "Once I'm better though."

"Yeah, yeah. See you later, Cat." Grey eye met grey eye, and they exchanged conspirator's grins, before her Slytherin friend left too, leaving Harry Potter alone with her. His vivid eyes examined her intensely.

"Are you alright?" He asked directly- the first person to do so. She nodded, trying for a smile, but finding it too hard and staring to the side- at her bedside table- instead.

Her necklace! Intact and gleaming, it sat there, winking at her.

Catrin glanced warily at Harry, and then grabbed it, fastening the chain securely around her neck where it belonged. It was a piece of her mother, right there. As it swung into place on her collarbone, another fragment of the night's conversation popped into her brain, and her fingers stilled on the clasp.

"Mr Potter..." She said slowly, causing Harry to cock his head to the side, ready for her question. "Lestrange said my necklace belonged to the...Ancient House of Black. Does it? He...screamed at me for wearing 'his Bella's necklace'."

James' father pressed his lips together and reached forwards to examine the chain. It hurt to do it, but Catrin slowly, very slowly, undid the clasp again and coiled the pearls into his palm, ready for his inspection.

After a long while, he looked up and nodded stiffly. "Yes."

"Doesn't that mean we're related? Would this be a kind of ...family heirloom? My mother wasn't related to the Blacks...I don't think. It must have been my dad!" Another memory slotted into place. "Oh! And Lestrange said that your godfather had a child. With...Marly? Marlene McKinnon."

Whatever Mr Potter been expecting, it probably wasn't that.

"_What_?" Mouth dropped open, Harry goggled at her. "No! I would have known..." His voice trailed off. Catrin felt bad to be the one to tell him, but she felt that Harry had a right to know. No point putting it off.

"He's lying." He said eventually, mashing his fist into his forehead and looking ten years older.

"I don't think so. He seemed pretty sure." Catrin said bluntly, reaching out to grab the necklace and return it to her neck. "You might have to check for birth certificates, but they're probably there."

Seeing his devastated expression, she felt more than a little guilty about breaking the news like that.

Fortunately, just then the hospital door opened, and a middle aged witch stepped inside, untying her cloak from around her shoulders in a businesslike manner.

"Oh!" Mr Potter jumped violently, before turning to make introductions. "This, Catrin, is Hestia. Your aunt."

Catrin did a double take, and now it was her turn to goggle at the woman, who looked back at her, scrutinising Catrin as much as she was being scrutinised herself.

Hestia Jones had thick, dark, but greying hair, and Catrin could clearly see her mother- and to some extent herself- in the set of her lips and in her expression. Mr Potter quickly stood up and left after exchanging a quick greeting with Hestia, leaving the two alone.

The atmosphere rapidly became uncomfortable. Catrin said nothing; she wanted to find out why Hestia had simply chosen not to intervene when her mother had died, and condemned her to a year of street living, but she didn't exactly know where to start.

"You look a lot like her." Hestia said finally, dropping into the seat next to the bed. She had the same lilting accent as Catrin.

"Thank you."

"She was younger than me, much less academic. She was happiest with the wind in her hair and a good fifteen feet off the ground." She sighed, expression sad. "I suppose you want to know why I didn't come and find you after she died."

Wow. That was blunt. Cautiously, Catrin nodded.

"Well, I knew you existed, of course, but Gwendolyn had expressly warned me not to go near you- or her. She didn't want to have any contact with the Wizarding World at all. I only found out she died... when you wrote to me a couple of months ago."

The last bit was said quickly, and accompanied with a blush. Of shame? Catrin hoped so- she was suddenly furious.

"She was your sister!" She said loudly. Her voice echoed unnervingly in the empty room. "How could you not care what happened to her?"

"Of course I cared! I tried to find out what happened to her but she severed contact with all her family. She threatened to curse me when I showed up on the doorstep! What could I do?" Hestia defended herself almost as angrily, and Catrin saw behind her polite facade to the skilled, strong-willed Auror underneath.

"You could have found out what happened to _me..._" Catrin said quietly. She had meant to shout it, but once it got past the lump in her throat it came out as a whisper, and was accompanied by a suspicious wetness in her eyes. She swallowed fiercely.

Hestia reached forwards hesitantly, and laid a careful hand on Catrin's shoulder. That was uncomfortable; she didn't like being touched much. But here, it helped her gather her thoughts.

"I miss her." She admitted softly, though it hurt to do so.

"I miss her too." Hestia said, almost as gently.

They sat like that for a while, the girl and her aunt, in the quiet, peaceful room, while dust motes swirled on the air. Eventually, Hestia spoke up. "I realise this might be too soon, but I know that you don't have anywhere to go during the summer holidays. You don't have to answer this now, but...would you like to come and stay with me?"

"Live? With you?" Catrin was jolted out of her reverie into bluntness. "But I hardly know you!" Instantly she cursed inwardly. Turning down a free home with her only remaining relative in favour of a life on the streets? Clever, Catrin!

"Well, that'll fix itself over time, won't it?" The witch smiled, hazel eyes sparkling. Catrin hesitated, and then grinned back, spirits lifting.

It would: she'd make it happen.

* * *

><p>The next few days passed in a blur of visitors and friends. Catrin was surprised by how many people she had managed to attract to her bedside, despite the fact that the first-years involvement in the battle with Rodolphus had been kept strictly hush-hush by Professor McGonagall. She spent much of that time with Hestia Jones, getting to know her better, and finding out (with a bit of annoyance) that she was married, to a man named Aberon Meadowes- a tall, well-built wizard with a thatch of sandy hair. So she wasn't actually a 'Jones' at all. Fortunately for Catrin, their only child, Tom, was currently spending his fourth year at the Wizarding School in New Zealand, but he would sadly be back for the holidays. Despite the joy of having a home and some relatives to finally call her own, Catrin was annoyed with 'Tom' for existing- there was going to be a fair amount of awkwardness there. At least Hestia had filled in the adoption paperwork already.<p>

Finally, four days after the 'battle', Catrin was released from the confinement of the Hospital Wing into the quiet of the castle. There was still a good hour to go before lunchtime, but she didn't want to talk to anyone just yet. Instead, she went straight to the Gryffindor Girl's Dormitory and reached under her bed for the box which was all she had left of her mother. Her fingers went straight to the letter, and she took a deep breath, before finally slitting the envelope, and unfolding the paper.

_Cariad,_

_I know that you won't have wanted to open this, but I'm so glad you finally did. Hopefully you'll see this as a friendly wave from beyond the grave, and know that I'll be watching over you._

_There's so much that I could say, but I'll have to confine it, as I know that I haven't got much time left, and I want to spend as much of it as I can with you while I'm alive. So: the basics. I guess that you'll want to know about your father. The truth is, he and I met a long time ago at my workplace (I once played sport for a living- don't be incredulous!) His name was Nate Black- or McKinnon, he liked to use both. He was about the same age as me; he had dark hair and grey eyes. It was a whirlwind romance- around five months later, he proposed and I accepted. That was when I became pregnant with you. Then, whilst we were planning our wedding, he died very suddenly. I wish you could have met him; you're very alike, both very alive and wild. You inherited his temperament, most definitely! _

_How can you track him down? I didn't know much about him: he was born around 1979 to a single mother. He didn't know his father, or didn't want to tell me: I guess you've got that in common! He was very loyal, with a strong sense of right and wrong. His death was the reason I lost contact with my family- I didn't want to have any more to do with the world in which I had lived._

_What else? I love you. I don't worry about your life in the future, because I know you'll make it through, my little fighter. Don't be sad about my death; I'm still here. Please don't turn your back on my old world- it just wasn't suited to me. Finally, and most importantly, learn to ride a broomstick!  
><em>

_Love, Mam_


	22. Epilogue

**The last instalment, guys. Woah...Enjoy!**

The weeks after the battle flew past in a blur of schoolwork, and before anyone knew it, exam time had arrived in sync with the first burst of good weather. The mountain of schoolwork detracted the school's attention very effectively from the first year's involvement in the downfall of Rodolphus, but Mary and Slimy Creep kept getting suspicious looks from the Gryffindors who had run down to the Common Room after Alice, James, Fred and Catrin had left, and found them with an unconscious Victoire. Catrin noticed that McLaggen had quietly disappeared from school life, and she strongly suspected that he had been expelled. What a shame. At least he wouldn't ever bother her again.

The two first-year groups had bonded slightly more over the events in the Room of Requirement and she found that more time was being spent in the company of the boys- whilst she didn't have too much trouble about Fred and James, Slimy Creep was as annoying and obnoxious as ever, especially after her mini-outburst before Mary's 'confession'. She had been seriously tempted to 'accidentally' jinx him, but thought that, whilst their Head of House, Professor Longbottom was extremely nice, he just might not encourage the attacking of fellow students.

She'd also thought about telling the others about her newly discovered heritage, but then thought the better of it. She wouldn't lie, but she wouldn't advertise it either. She'd tell Harry Potter, maybe- some part of her suspected that he'd guessed it anyway- but only because he'd known Sirius better than anyone else. And from scouring old newspapers in the library- something which was rapidly becoming a habit- she'd found out, to her shock, that Sirius Black had been a wanted man or a criminal for at least fifteen years of his life before his mysterious death. Strong opinions were probably rife, and she didn't want to invite any of them onto her.

But now she had to get down to some serious schoolwork, and many hours were spent in the Common Room, under the glare of suspicious portraits, and under the shade of the large beech tree in the grounds, practising spells on each other (with dubious results- this had stopped after Alice had given Fred two black eyes and a massive peacock's tail) and looking over their notes. Catrin took this especially seriously after Fred had told her that she could be kicked out if she didn't pass the tests with enough marks.

Surprisingly, though, with all her fretting, the exams passed without any hitches, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that her excellent Defence Against the Dark Arts marks made up for her abysmal Potions grade -the only interesting thing she had ever succeeded in making in that lesson was an explosion. All her friends made it through, with James scraping some of the highest marks despite foregoing much studying in favour of playing tricks on Teddy and Victoire as they strolled through the corridors, hand in hand. Apparently, after the third water balloon, Teddy's yelling managed to shatter some panes of glass a floor below them. Scorpius wasn't going home prematurely either- their lessons were still going strong, and Catrin was pleased to find that she had a) a better grasp of spellwork and b)a really good friend in the Slytherin. Sadly, his self-defence skills were also improving, and she was suffering from many more bruises than she used to.

The end of June arrived all too soon, and the group took to passing much of their time in the grounds, in the sweltering sun, as all lessons had finished.

"I'll say this, Kitcat," James said lazily from his sprawled position amongst the roots of a shady tree. "You haven't started bragging about your amazing Lestrange stunning yet- I'm impressed."

Catrin cracked open an eyelid from her sun-lulled doze on the grass. It was a few hours before the feast in the Great Hall, and she was trying not to think about the fact that she was leaving Hogwarts the day afterwards, and starting a completely new life with her aunt and her family .

"We don't all have your hugely inflated ego, Potter." She didn't know what had happened to Lestrange's body- he was alive, she thought, but massively injured- but she did know that all of the accompanying Death Eaters had been captured and sent back to Azkaban, to her great relief. One less problem in the world couldn't be a bad thing. Though she was trying not to dwell on the fact that she had quite possibly caused the madman's death. Whilst he had most definitely deserved it- Fred had a white line on his cheek that bore testimony to that- mutilating someone was not something anybody did lightly.

"Shut up." James grumbled, causing Fred to try and unsuccessfully disguise his snort. Everyone stared as something like a _grurk _came out of his mouth instead, and he shrugged innocently. "Wasn't me!"

"Yeah, right." Mary called from her seat next to Catrin, lifting her head only barely out of her book. "That's coming from George Weasley's son!"

"Hey! False impressions!" Fred protested. "Don't bully the poor invalid." She motioned towards the scar on his cheek, which Madam Pomfrey could have removed, but he'd chosen to keep. Catrin strongly suspected that this was to milk it as much as possible.

"Huh." Alice was idly levitating a beech leaf with her wand. "Hey, what do you reckon McGonagall's going to say in her speech tonight?"

"Nothing about us." Slimy Creep sniffed. "And I deserve a medal as well, for taking part in The Battle!"

He most definitely hadn't, but Catrin was tactful enough to keep quiet about it. Instead, she stretched out on the grass, willing the sun to warm as much of her as possible, and wished that this peaceful moment, here with her friends, would last forever. Or maybe only another couple of hours; she was really hungry.

The feast did come, though, once it was too dark for them to see properly, even with the aid of _Lumos_, and they traipsed back indoors to hear McGonagall's speech (which didn't include medals or battles), and stuff themselves silly with the delicacies on offer. Catrin, for one, had grown particularly attached to the chicken drumsticks and cherry trifle, and the way it materialised on the tables, readymade. Did that happen in most wizarding households? Well, she'd soon find out.

The Gryffindors went to bed stuffed that night, and Catrin's friends fell asleep almost instantly, but she stared at the ceiling, unable to drop off. Tomorrow she'd be leaving here for good...the place that had given her her first home after a year of starving, fear and stealing. She was sure that Hestia's house would be just as nice...but Hogwarts had more _security_, and a sense of safeness. It wasn't anyone's particular job to care for her, she thought. Gryffindor House was more like a huge family.

At least she'd be coming back in September.

And with that thought, she was out like a light.

* * *

><p>"Wake up!"<p>

"Oh my god!" Catrin jolted upright instantly, stunned awake by the yell in her ear, only to have the top of her head hit something very hard. She fell back down against the pillows again, not ready for such an onslaught on her sense this early in the morning.

"Ahhh...Cadrin!"

"Mary?" She croaked, rubbing her head. "What the _hell _are you doing?"

"Waking you up!" Mary glared balefully at her. "Breakfast in five! I dink I bit by dongue..."

"Don't wake me up so early then! When's the Express go?"

"About an hour, I think."

"What!" Catrin jumped out of bed to see her friend already fully dressed. "Okay, okay, better be quick."

She got dressed in record time- in her own clothes, for once, not school uniform- and lugged her trunk down to the Entrance Hall to be collected by the invisible porters, or whoever they were. The Great Hall was almost deserted; she hurtled down the Gryffindor table to encounter Alice and Valerie, who were munching their way through a huge stack of marmaladey toast- one of which she promptly grabbed and jammed in her mouth, ignoring Valerie's mumbled protests.

"Come on, we have to go!"

As they left, Catrin snuck one last glance at the ceiling- it was clear blue, misted in places with fluffy white clouds. Kind of like an inside al-fresco dining room, but on a massive scale. She'd miss this place, as well. She saw Scorpius at the Slytherin table, and waved at him, before walking to the last of the carriages.

The Hogwarts Express greeted them, scarlet as a postbox and puffing smoke into the morning air. Hagrid was there, ushering the students on board. He saw Mary staring and tipped her a wink, as they got on board and fought to find themselves a free compartment.

"Time to go again." Mary sighed. "My brother always says this is the hardest part, leaving."

"You have a brother?" Catrin asked, surprised. Mary had never said anything at Hogwarts- he wasn't a student, then?  
>"Yeah." She sighed. "He left a year early- didn't want to take his NEWTS. Waste of time, apparently. Now he's helping Charlie Weasley with dragons, or something, in Romania."<p>

"_Dragons_?"

"Either them, or huge fire-breathing lizards." Mary said sarcastically, and flopped down in her seat with a sigh. "Exploding Snap, anyone?"

"Yeah, go on then." Alice took the pack from her friend's hands. "I'll shuffle; you never do it properly."

"Where's Val?" Catrin asked as she sat down opposite them, to be answered with Mary's shrug.

"With her Hufflepuff friends. She likes to hang around with Nicole Macmillan, apparently."  
>"What's wrong with us?"<br>"Dunno. Too adventurous. Our amazingness is too intimidating." Alice bit her lip as she shuffled the cards, deep in concentration.

"Can you transfer houses?"

"I've never heard of it. You can get Hat Stalls at the Sorting, but that's it."

They looked around as the door to the compartment slid open and the sea-blue head of Teddy peeked around the door, followed by Victoire's reddish-blonde one.  
>"Mind if we join?" He asked, as the Express tooted up to the sky, and with a jolt, the train jerked into motion. They all nodded, and as they sat down, Catrin pressed her nose to the window, watching the spires and turrets of Hogwarts disappearing from view, swallowed up by azure sky and emerald forest. She turned around to see Teddy smiling sympathetically. "I know how you're feeling." He said quietly. "This was my last year. Never coming back, apart from as a teacher."<br>"Really?" Catrin's eyes opened wide with something approaching horror. She knew Teddy had been fairly old, but not old enough to leave! She was going to miss his calm presence and brotherly affection next year, that was for sure.

"Don't worry, I'll write." Teddy smiled gently. Catrin flushed. She half-smiled at the now ex-seventh-year: she would miss him, but she was sure that Victoire was going to miss him more.

The journey passed quickly after that- Catrin hadn't spoken much to Teddy's beau, but she got on well with the others, in between five-minute patrols of the corridors. Exploding Snap was apparently an excellent thing to bond over. The countryside passed from forests to rolling hills as the day wore on, and when the trolley came, they all stuffed themselves silly on Bertie Bott's, Sugar Quills, and Chocolate Frogs (they used the cards for Exploding Snap winnings afterwards, leaving Catrin with an impressive starting collection).

"I _still _haven't got Calypso." Mary sighed as the train finally pulled into the station. "Catrin, couldn't you trade for Merlin?"

"I've already got five of him. Nobody else wanted him." Catrin protested, as the platform of smiling parents and siblings chugged into view. Her stomach lurched unpleasantly; Hestia was in that crowd somewhere, waiting to welcome her to her new life.

The others left quickly, laughing and chatting and promising to exchange news, leaving Catrin alone in the compartment with Teddy and Victoire, who quickly left as well.

"You alright?" Teddy asked gently, watching her closely.

She nodded. "Just a bit nervous."

To her surprise, Teddy stepped forwards and grasped her shoulders. "You can do it. It's a new life out there, Catrin. A new family."

"It's...I don't want to replace my old one."

"That'll never happen- trust me, I know. You can be part of two families." Teddy smiled at her, eyes gentle. "Now go out there, and for both of us, live the life that our parents weren't able to give us."

Catrin managed a watery smile, looking up at a strangely blurred image of her friend. "Will I see you September?"  
>"Count on it." Teddy winked, and pulled her in for a quick hug, before leaving as well. Catrin cautiously went to the carriage door, looking out onto the platform. Her trunk was already there, waiting on the platform with the rest of the students' luggage.<p>

"Catrin!" Suddenly, Hestia was there, smiling and waving. "Come on, let's take you home."

She conjured up a trolley seemingly out of nowhere, and skilfully levitated the trunk on it. Catrin glanced around the platform. Fred Weasley grinned at her from amidst his red-headed family, and James Potter tipped her a wink. They were all happy with their families; she could be happy with hers.

Catrin took a deep breath, and stepped on to the platform, into her new life.


	23. Author's Note

**Hey everyone!**

**I've really enjoyed writing this story, so there'll definitely be another one; come a couple of weeks (I need some time to recuperate first!)- I'm already thinking of plots. If you have any ideas or thoughts please go ahead and I'll try and see about including them in the plot...:) I'm thinking about writing the full seven books of Catrin's time at Hogwarts , if there's enough interest- possibly from different perspectives each time- e.g. James', Fred's, but we'll see how it goes.**

**Thanks for everyone's support and reviews; they all made my day each time!**


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